Sweet Child Of Mine
by Ultrawoman
Summary: AU Season 6. Dawn jumps into the portal in The Gift, all memories of her are erased, except for Buffy and Spike. The Slayer and the Vampire find comfort in each other, that looks like it could be more, until a face from the past returns with a surprise...
1. Prologue

**A/N : I originally had this idea a very long time ago, but I always seemed to come up with others that I liked better and/or seemed easier to write. Finally this story got it's turn to be written, and here it is... well, the Prologue at least. If everything goes according to plan, this story won't be hugely long, but it will be part of a trilogy. Before I get carried away with big plans, let's see what you guys think of the beginning first...**

**Title : Sweet Child of Mine**

**Rating : PG-13**

**Summary : AU Season 6. Dawn jumps into the portal in The Gift, and all memories of her are erased for everyone, except Buffy and Spike. Now the Slayer and the Vampire find comfort in each other, that looks like it might be something more, until a face from the past returns with a surprise.**

**Disclaimer : All recognisable characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon, and not to me. This is partially based on a plot arc from Angel The Series, which also belongs to the mighty JW.**

Prologue

"Dawnie, no!" Buffy pulled her sister back by the arm when she turned to the edge of the platform, "What are you doing?"

"I have to jump, Buffy, it's the only way" the teen protested, yelling over the deafening sounds of lightening bolts cracking the earth and the hell-spawned creatures that flew from the portal that writhed halfway down the tower, "Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop"

"Then I'll go" the Slayer said desperately, "Your blood and my blood, they're the same"

"No, they're not" Dawn shook her head, trying t make Buffy understand, "I hate it, but it's true, you're not my sister, Buffy" she cried, tears streaming down her face, "Glory told me stuff about the ritual, she knew you might sacrifice yourself for me, and the world, but it won't work. It has to be me"

"I can't just let you go like this" Buffy told her, shedding her own tears by now but barely noticing the saltwater cascading down her face and she held onto the girl she knew to be both the Key and her baby sister, "I don't care what anyone says, you are my sister and I love you"

"Then let me go" Dawn begged, "I promise, it's the best thing. I'm not afraid, Buffy, because I know this is right, it's what I'm supposed to do. You won't even remember me when I'm gone" she shook her head sadly, "The magicks work like Glory and Ben, when I'm gone the fake memories will disappear, I won't exist"

"I won't ever forget you" Buffy swore, though of course she had no control over such things and she knew it.

"Buffy! Dawn!" Spike called to them as he appeared at the top of the tower just behind them.

Though he was badly hurt, and bleeding profusely, he knew he had to do whatever he could for his two girls. The love of his unlife and the kid sister he'd come to love just as much in a different way, they meant the world to him. He'd sworn to protect them, and he would in any way he could.

"Spike!" Dawn called back tearfully as she ran at him, hugging him tight.

He hugged her back as the tower creaked and moaned, threatening to collapse beneath them.

"We've gotta get off this tower" the vampire yelled over the sound but Buffy couldn't find words to answer him with.

She just cried as Dawn let go of Spike and came over to her. The sisters hugged each other tightly for too brief a moment before Dawn looked out at the view of the sun beginning to rise.

"Get Spike out of the sun" she told Buffy, "And you, look after her, please" she said to the confused vampire who never got a chance to ask what she meant as he watched the teen run up to the edge of the platform, taking a perfect dive into the centre of the portal that hung a few feet down.

Buffy screamed and cried as she watched her sister plummet to her death. The young girl hung in the centre of the portal, first writhing as if in agony and then with a strange look of peace covering her face. A moment later the portal closed in on itself and disappeared, taking Dawnie with it.

Spike didn't have words as the Slayer bawled like a child whose world had just ended. She suddenly ran towards the end of the platform, the tower shaking violently as she did so. Spike caught her wrist pulling her back from the edge and though she struggled to get away for a few seconds, she soon gave up. She turned and went into the bleached blond's waiting arms, sobbing loudly.

Buffy had no idea that Spike had tears in his eyes too for the loss of the little girl he'd loved like a sister. She hadn't deserved what had happened to her, but she was a brave one, to make the sacrifice that she had.

* * *

Buffy woke up with a start, sitting up in her bed. She felt cold and yet she was sweating profusely, her usual nightmare having affected her as it always did. The only problem with this particular bad dream was that it was much more a memory than sub-conscious fear. Dawn had made that terrible sacrifice, just over five months ago now, and almost every night since that tragic one, Buffy had seen it all again in her nightmares.

Perhaps the worst part should have been the guilt, the terrible feeling of knowing she ought to have been the one to die. Death was her gift, so the First Slayer had said, but Dawn's death had been far from a gift for anybody. It brought pain and suffering for Buffy, but not for her friends, and there in lie the absolute worse part of the situation.

What her sister had said about remembering her, Buffy had found to be partially true. Willow, Xander, Tara, Anya, Giles, none of them even mentioned Dawnie after the battle, they had no idea who she was, acted as if she'd never existed and had no clue about the young girls sacrifice. Only Buffy remembered her. There was a connection between the two that could never be completely severed, not even by death. Every fake memory was there in Buffy's head as well as the real ones, and there was only one person she could share thoughts of Dawn with, the only other one that recalled her sister, because the magicks didn't have the same effect on the dead.

"Spike" Buffy said to herself as she swung her legs out of the bed and rapidly got dressed in the nearest clothes.

So as not to disturb Willow and Tara, who had moved in to help cover the bills and costs a couple of months ago, Buffy went over to the window, opening it silently before climbing out and down from the roof to the ground. She headed towards Spike's crypt, a place she realised she'd come to spend an awful lot of time lately. It just seemed like a perfectly reasonable and normal thing to do these days. Whenever she needed to talk about Dawn or just be with someone who understood, her only option was Spike and he didn't seem to object to her visits.

There were days and nights now when they'd talk for hours, others when they'd sit in comfortable silence, perhaps with the TV on sometimes, it was all much different to the beginning.

The first few weeks had been harder. Buffy had to hide her tears from her friends, they wouldn't understand since they had no memory at all of Dawn and it was probably best if it stayed that way. She'd visit Spike when she could, without the Scoobies knowing, and usually cry on his shoulder til she felt a little better.

Part of her had known even then how wrong it was, to allow a supposedly evil soulless creature like Spike to hold her in his arms, to comfort her, but he needed a little comfort too, she realised. He cried, she knew he did, when she wasn't there, and sometimes even when he was holding her and she couldn't see his face. He'd loved Dawn in his own way, and though she'd like to deny it, in some ways he loved her too.

Buffy reached the crypt door and opened it carefully. Gone were the days of her kicking her way in with a crash, almost scaring Spike more to death if he was asleep or concentrating on the TV. He was a target for demons after all, now he was both the Slayers fight partner and lap dog to boot.

"You're running late, pet" he told her, climbing up the ladder from the lower level, "Usually see you before now"

Buffy didn't have a smart comeback, a witty pun, not anymore. The look in her eyes told Spike his semi-joke wasn't what she wanted right now.

"Come here, pet" he urged her and she hesitated just a moment before walking over to him and falling into his waiting arms as if she might cry, but no tears came.

"I had the dream again" she said, her words muffled against his chest but with his vampire hearing he still understood what she'd said.

"Seems to pop up in my head more often than I'd like too" he admitted as he held her tight, "'S a funny thing" he smirked, "Even now sometimes I think she's here. Reckon I catch her scent or hear her voice calling me to get my ass up here and entertain her"

Buffy laughed painfully at that, her chuckle turning into a sob, and then a cough as she tried not to get too upset. She pulled away from Spike just slightly and looked up at him.

"I do it too" she admitted, "Sometimes when Will or Tara come home, I hear the door, just at the right time, when schools out..." she bit her lip and tried to force back tears, but one escaped down her cheek.

"I know it hurts, luv" Spike said gently as he reached his hand out to her face and wiped her tear away with his thumb.

She flinched away from his touch and he frowned.

"You don't" Buffy said a little too coldly, "You don't have to face the others every day, all of them carrying on like everything's a-okay" she said, turning her back on him, "but it's not, and it can't be, not ever"

"It can, pet" Spike told her, "It will, you just have to give it time" he told her, considering approaching her but deciding against it as she stood with her back to him, hugging herself.

Sometimes she still got mad at him, for reasons he couldn't really determine. It was just the grief, he told himself, trying to cope with more than a young woman her age should ever have to.

"Time" she echoed his last word, choking on a sob right after, "Do you know what today is?" she asked turning back to face Spike who nodded slowly.

He hadn't been prepared to be the first one to bring it up, just in case Buffy didn't want to talk about it, but he knew.

"She'd be fifteen today" he said softly, noting that it was past midnight and therefore now officially the Little Bit's birthday, or at least what the monk-made memories said it was.

"We always made such a big deal on her birthday" Buffy smiled slightly at the memories, "Sometimes I was jealous, with her being so much younger she got the kiddy party thing way past the time I was too old for it" she sniffed, "but there was this one year, it was just a few weeks after we moved to Sunnydale. Mom rented the carousel in the park, but Dawnie hadn't made any friends yet, so it was just us three going round and round for hours" she cried, loving the memory but hating to remember all she'd lost, "Now there's just me, and I don't have anyone to..." her sentence disappeared as tears overtook her again.

Unable to bear seeing her in such pain, Spike moved towards her and pulled her back into his arms. She didn't struggle at all, just enjoyed being held by a pair of strong arms and comforted by the one person who seemed to understand her.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2 : Reviews would be great, I love to read all your opinions!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N : So, the Prologue has setthe scene for my story, and pretty well it seems since it got such a huge and positive reaction! Hopefully Chapter 1 will be as thrilling for you all, as we move forward a few weeks, and I start to introduce the main point of the story...  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc.- see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 1

"Hey Buffy" Willow smiled as her friend came running down the stairs in clothing that looked decidedly break and enterish, "You going out to patrol?" the red-head guessed.

"As always" the Slayer nodded as she went over to her weapons chest and got herself a couple of stakes, a small axe, plus a knife to strap to her leg.

"You expecting a bigger bad than usual?" Tara asked, glancing away from the movie she and her girlfriend were watching on TV, all snuggled up on the couch for the evening.

"I don't know" Buffy shrugged, "I had this weird feeling last night... it's probably nothing, but I thought someone or maybe something was watching me" the Slayer sighed, "Like I said, probably nothing, but it's good to be prepared"

"You want a little back up?" Willow checked but Buffy forced a smile and shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm fine" she assured them, knowing Spike would have her back like he always did should she need his help, "You guys enjoy your night in" she said as she let herself out of the front door and closed it behind her. She took a breath and the fake smile fell from her face.

There were days when she still considered explaining about Dawn to her friends, but those thoughts didn't last long. It would get so terribly complicated, and besides extensive talking about her little sister only led to tears and badness, which she was getting so tired of. Buffy so desperately wanted to be happy but right now, there didn't seem to be much to grin about, what with her Mom gone, and Dawnie, bills mounting up, and the part-time jobs she and her friends had barely covering the essentials.

"The sun sets and she appears" his smooth English-accented voice said in the dark and Buffy found she could find a small but genuine smile as the bleached blond stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Spike" she said as he approached her, crushing a cigarette butt under his boot as he did so.

"Must be slipping, pet" he said, hands in his pockets as he walked alongside her, "Didn't even know I was there til I made it obvious"

"I had things on my mind" she said awkwardly, "Besides I'm so used to you being around these days..." she trailed off when she realised what she was saying.

She was indeed used to having Spike be there when she needed him, and when she didn't too, but she'd almost told him that she liked that fact and that would never do. As much as she was glad to have someone to run to, someone to find comfort in and talk to about those she'd lost, she didn't want him to know she needed him or wanted him around too much. If she leant on him too heavily, and the day came when he walked away, like all the others had, Buffy didn't know how she'd cope. Better to keep the evil vampire at arms length, she told herself, even if it was difficult to remember most of the time that Spike was in fact evil.

"So, what is it tonight then?" the bleached blonde's voice broke through the thick fog of deep thoughts in the Slayers mind, "General hunt for my kind, or something a little more interesting?"

"I don't know exactly" Buffy admitted, "I mean, anything gets in our way, obviously it's kill, crush, destroy but as for specifics..." she paused a moment, stopped walking and looked around, "You ever get that feeling like you're being watched?" she asked and Spike frowned slightly.

"Not as a rule" he admitted, "Got the senses I have, you smell any bugger who's coming your way long before they get close enough to spook you" he told her, "You reckon somethin's tracking you then, pet?" he asked and Buffy shook her head.

"No, I... I don't know, it's just this feeling I keep getting" she said, looking all around and finding nothing but the shadows of the trees and gravemarkers like usual, "I'm probably just being paranoid" she said rolling her eyes, "We haven't had a Big Bad since... since Glory" she said glancing away and then back again as she kept her emotions in check as best she could, "It puts me on edge. I expect something to happen and when it doesn't... it's just not abnormal enough"

"Slayer" Spike smirked, "You are the only woman I know who worries more about the lack of trouble than you do the actual evil"

"Actual evil I can handle" Buffy sighed as they resumed walking through the cemetery together, "Can't kick the ass of something you can't find or identify"

"Or that isn't even there" Spike added.

"Lucky for us, something is here" Buffy said suddenly as a pair of vampires approached them, fangs bared and ready for a smackdown.

The Slayer and her vampire companion pulled stakes from the jackets at almost the exact same moment and dropped into fighting stances. The vamps didn't stand a chance.

* * *

"Think those vamps we got earlier might be the only action tonight" Spike said, sounding almost disappointed as he and Buffy crossed through their third cemetery of the night.

"Yeah, seems that way" Buffy sighed, sounding equally as let down.

Both of them it seemed had been looking for a decent spot of violence, a release for the emotions they bottled up so much. For the Slayer it was grief and guilt over Dawn, worries about bills and the latest breakage at the house, namely the major leak in the basement. For Spike it was also partly about Dawn, but the rest of the feelings he had to hide were for the woman walking beside him. It was a sweet kind of agony being a friend of the Slayer. Though he got to be close to her, got to talk to her and hold her and be her special confidante, he still wanted more. He loved her, and though she bore his presence these days, even wanted or needed it at times, she would never love him back, he knew that. Still, he'd never give up on the dream that one day she might feel something for him.

"So, do we call it a night or..." Spike's sentence tailed off, expecting Buffy to say that she'd be heading home now, only she didn't.

"Or, what?" she prompted, asking him to suggest another option as they reached the cemetery gates and stopped there.

"Er, well, we could go somewhere else, get a drink or something?" Spike suggested, wondering why he felt so stupidly young and awkward right now, like a soppy teen asking out the prettiest girl in town.

"I could use a drink" Buffy nodded, almost smiling til she saw the distinct look of hope in Spike's eyes, "but this is NOT a date" she emphasised overly much, pointing a stern finger his way so he understood how serious she was about it.

"Never even crossed my mind, pet" Spike told her, hands up in surrender as he lied his ass off!

Of course he thought of this as a semi-date, let's face it, it was as close as he was ever likely to get, not counting the bogus stake-out last year that had made the Slayer go completely off her bird as he'd tried to confess his love for her.

"Earth to Spike!" Buffy called, waving her hand in his face as they walked along, "God, where were you?" she asked, wondering where his mind could've wandered to, obviously far away from what she was saying.

"Nowhere you'd wanna hear about, pet" he said sadly, painting on a smile right after, "So, where to for this non-date of ours then?"

Buffy smiled inspite of herself at his phrasing.

"I dunno, not the Bronze" she decided, "Somewhere different, somewhere... well, where do you go?"

"You serious, luv?" Spike asked her, stopping walking for a second and tilting his head as he stared at her, "I mean, there's likely to be trouble if I take you some place where I'd go by myself, 's what I go there for of late, a beer and a punch-up"

"So long as it has demons I can hit, it works for me" was the Slayer's reply.

She had the insane urge to pummel something and the local vampire and demon crowd hadn't been too forthcoming in the three graveyards she'd patrolled with Spike. A drink and a brawl, her vampire friend was always telling her of the great times he had with that was his evening's plan, maybe it was what she needed to, a release from the general ups and downs of her Slayer life. Besides, there was a chance she'd hear something about a new Big Bad in town, something concrete to confirm or dispel her suspicions that someone or something was out to get her.

* * *

As the credits rolled on the movie, Tara nudged her girlfriend slightly who seemed to somehow be asleep with her eyes open.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked Willow who suddenly snapped put of her daze, eyes flitting to the TV.

"Oh, the movies over" she mumbled, before looking at Tara who had a concerned look on her face, "Huh?"

"I said, are you okay?" she repeated, flipping off the TV, "You were all kind of otherwhere. Is something worrying you?" Tara checked, as Willow snuggled in closer to her girl, her head resting on her shoulder.

"I was just thinking about Buffy is all" the red-head admitted, "She stays out a lot longer on patrol lately and... and I think she's been sneaking out of her window when she thinks we're asleep"

Tara considered what her girlfriend was saying and realised she was right. Indeed, she too had thought Buffy might've been going out late at night via her bedroom window , but she didn't feel it was any of her business so she hadn't mentioned it at all. As for the long patrols, well that she hadn't paid quite so much attention to that really.

"And she's so quiet all the time, and kinda thoughtful maybe" Willow continued, "It's like ever since that day when we beat Glory she's been disconnected or something"

"Well, it was the biggest apocalypsey situation she's faced, wasn't it?" Tara checked, "Maybe coming so close to the end has affected her"

"Maybe" Willow agreed, closing her eyes and enjoying the peace and comfort she always felt when she was in Tara's arms, "Am I being over-worrisome?" she checked, eyes flicking open again. She just couldn't lose this feeling that something more was wrong with Buffy than she knew.

"Maybe a little" Tara told her carefully, never wanting to upset her girl, "But you know if you think there's something wrong maybe you should ask Buffy about it, see if she wants to talk. At least that way you'll be there to help if she needs it, and if not it'll put your mind at rest"

"You're very smart" Willow grinned, lifting her head up from Tara's shoulder and looking up into her eyes, "It's one of the many reasons that I love you" she said softly and the blonde smiled too at that.

"Well, I love you too, always" she replied, before the two kissed.

"You think we should wait up for Buffy?" Willow asked when they parted.

"We could, if you want to" Tara nodded. The red-head considered it a moment, before smiling widely once again.

"Or we could do what I really wanna do" she said with a look in her eye that told her girlfriend exactly what she was thinking.

Linking hands they headed for the stairs together, to enjoy a night of love. Still, Willow couldn't help but think of Buffy as she went up to her bedroom with Tara. She hoped she wasn't having too bad a night. Willow really did hate to think that her friend might be alone out there, and upset.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Buffy could barely breathe she was laughing so hard, and the fight she'd just been a part of had taken it's toll on her ability to process oxygen too.

She stumbled slightly as she came out of the door to the bar and leant against the wall to regain her composure.

"Now that was fun" Spike grinned as he joined her, wiping a spatter of blood from his face as he walked around to lean against the side of the building, next to the Slayer.

"It really was" Buffy agreed, her breath returning by now, eyes sparkling with excitement, and a smile on her face.

"Glad you enjoyed yourself, pet" Spike told her honestly.

She'd been so down since her sister had made the ultimate sacrifice and left the mortal world behind, it was nice to see his Slayer smile and laugh like this. It'd been too long.

"Fun was most definitely had" she assured him, nodding her head as she pushed off the wall and made to take a step forward.

One foot did not co-ordinate so well with the other and she stumbled somewhat as she moved.

"Are you bloody pissed, Slayer?" Spike checked, head tilting to the side as he watched her move this way and that, when she was really trying for a straight line.

"Why would I be angry?" she frowned as she turned to look at him.

Swinging her head around so fast only served to make her more unstable and her knees gave way of their own accord. Before she managed to crumple to the ground, Spike was there beside her, arms catching her when she fell and standing her upright once again.

"Pissed as in drunk, you silly bint" he explained, rolling his eyes, "I thought you only had a couple of drinks?"

"I did" she nodded, "A couple of _large_ drinks" she giggled madly and Spike couldn't help but smile.

She looked so happy, carefree, and innocent, like the young girl she ought to be, if her destiny had not been decided in advance.

"S'pose I better walk you home then" Spike said, as he began to lead her, her hands gripping onto his arm so she didn't lose her balance again.

"Home" Buffy echoed with a sigh, "Doesn't feel much like home anymore" she said so softly that it was only because of his vampire hearing that Spike knew what she'd said at all.

Poor bint seemed to have passed through both the happy and violent stages of her drunkenness and was headed straight into the melancholy stage. He could do without it, he much preferred the upbeat parts of being drunk, both for himself and for her. God, she'd been fun in that bar, and completely up for the fight when a gang of demons had realised the Slayer and her sidekick vamp were in their very own hangout. Four vampires and three assorted demons that were nothing more than mutilated corpses and dust in the wind when Buffy and Spike were done with them. Then she'd gotten the giggles, the bleached blond had got her out of there as quick as possible, realising that if any more evil doers came forward, wanting revenge for their mates, the Slayer was probably in no fit state to play tag-team with him.

"Wherever I wander, there's no place like home..." Buffy was singing quietly and drunkenly to herself, Spike realised, as his ears tuned back into the world around him.

"Come on, pet" he urged her when she slowed down in her walking, "'S getting late, or early" he considered as he sensed the sun was less than a couple of hours away, "And if I take you home in this state the folks might just stake me good and proper" he said, more than himself to her since she was not so much listening as still singing, off key and the same few words over and over since she clearly didn't know any more lyrics, "Looks like you're stopping with me tonight then, Slayer" he told the oblivious young woman as he walked her towards the cemetery where he resided.

From the shadows a figure watched the pair with an amused smile on her face, also singing softly in the dark.

"Run and catch, run and catch, the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch..."

_To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N : Another chapter for you, quite a large one too, which I hope you like. Your reviews are my encouragement, so please continue to let me know what you think of this fic :-)  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 2

Buffy giggled madly as Spike deposited her on his bed. Though he'd had many a fantasy about the Slayer lying as she was right now, she had a lot less clothing and was considerably less drunk in his dreams. Poor bint had suffered too much in her young life and he hated to know how much she must be hurting. Maybe boozing wasn't the best way to solve her problems but at least he'd got some laughter out of her. This was better than her almost-tearyness that had occurred on the way here.

"Spike?" she said through her chuckles, "Where did the stars go?" she asked as she stared at the ceiling.

The vampire smirked at that. She almost sounded like Dru, 'cept at least the Slayer seemed aware that the stars were now gone, didn't fancy herself able to see them through the solid roof and in the day time like his sire used to.

"We're inside now, luv, in my crypt" he told the girl on his bed, not daring to get too close to her in this state.

Drunk and lonely young women were capable of anything, and Spike didn't trust himself not to take advantage of the situation . He loved her too much to ever want to hurt her, but if she decided she wanted to get up close and personal in her inebriated state he wasn't so sure he could stop himself, as well as her, from doing something she'd regret in the morning.

Buffy pulled herself up to a sitting position and immediately regretted it as the room spun somewhat out of focus.

"Woah" she said, putting a hand to her head and waiting for the world to be still, "I don't think my head is used to drinking" she said as if it was some great discovery.

"Reckon you might be right there, pet" Spike smirked, "Probably best you lie down, get some rest" he told her gesturing for her to get comfortable on the bed.

"You wanna lie down with me?" she asked with a look in her eye that Spike both loved and hated.

Now she chose to get all sexy with him? Now when she was so drunk he couldn't do anything about it without getting himself in some severe, dusty-type trouble in the morning? Unlife was so cruel!

"Er, I've got water, bottled stuff, might do you some good" he said quickly moving towards the ladder and pulling himself up to the higher level.

Buffy's laughter was all that followed him and for that Spike was eternally grateful. It was taking every drop of strength he had not to take advantage of this woman up to this point and now she was practically throwing herself at him. He only hoped that by the time he got back down to the lower level and got a non-alcoholic drink into her Buffy would gain some coherence, and maybe sleep off the effects of too much booze without further attempts to get him to 'lie down' with her.

"How you feeling, pet?" he said as he came back down the ladder, "Probably best if... oh bloody hell" he cursed when he turned and saw she was passed out on the stone floor.

Rushing over, he discarded the bottle of water on the way and hurried to get the Slayer up from the ground. She came to seconds after he'd laid her down on the bed, his arms still around her when her eyes opened.

"Where did I go?" she frowned slightly, "I... I thought I saw" her lip trembled and tears came to her eyes then, "I thought I saw her" she cried and Spike's heart broke for her.

Though it seemed strange that in the few seconds she had blacked out she'd had a chance to dream of her sister, Spike knew she'd definitely thought of Dawn and the effect of the alcohol being what it was had caused her to get upset all over again. Her arms wrapped around his back and pulled him down beside her, giving Spike little choice but to lie beside her as she'd asked before. He held Buffy tight and she cried just a short while before lifting her head and staring up into his eyes.

"She had the biggest crush on you" she said softly, with a watery smile.

"Maybe she did" Spike smirked, knowing the Slayer's sister had cared about him in some way and being proud to know she counted him as a friend. She was a brave and remarkable girl, who he was sure would have been a hell of a woman one day, like her sister already was.

"She saw you differently" Buffy continued, gaze never wavering from Spike's own as her hand moved up to his face and her fingers brushed against his cheek, "She saw things I couldn't..."

"Slayer" Spike interrupted, but her fingers moved over his lips and silenced him.

"She saw the real you, that I couldn't see" she explained, "I wouldn't let myself, but now... now, it's different" she whispered, a second before she moved in closer and kissed the startled vampire on the lips.

* * *

Willow couldn't sleep. It didn't matter how many times Tara told her she shouldn't worry or how many times she told herself the same thing, she just could not stop thinking about Buffy and feeling uneasy about what was going on with her friend. She was different since the whole Glory thing, and whilst it made sense that such a close call with death could've changed her outlook, there had been more than one occasion when the Slayer's own mortality had become so obvious. She'd been different after the Master had killed her and she'd come back thanks to Xander and CPR, but that hadn't lasted so long, besides it seemed all she'd needed was closure to get over that event, and Glory was most definitely dead and buried. There was no unfinished business that Willow could think of, no more danger of the hell-god type at the present time, and they'd all come through the battle relatively unscathed. Something just didn't make sense.

Slipping out of her girlfriends embrace, Willow quietly got out of bed and crept along the landing. She peered around Buffy's door and was not really surprised to find her friends bed was still empty despite the fact it was past two in the morning. She'd lay awake listening for her to return home for the past few hours, and it was highly unlikely she'd missed the event had it happened.

Padding down the stairs to the kitchen, Willow stopped short of the door as she thought she heard movements within. Aware that as easily as it could be Buffy it might also be something much more dangerous, the young witch did a silent spell that brought a dagger from the weapons chest to her hand.

With cautious movement she leant in towards the door and pushed it open, almost jumping out of her skin as a figure spun around and sent a glass of water smashing to the floor. The person yelped like a girl as Willow flipped on the light and looked at him with surprise.

"Xander?" she frowned, "What are you doing here at two in the morning?" she checked, looking concerned.

"I was, er, in the neighbourhood?" he said with a nervous smile, an expression that did not come naturally tonight, or this morning as was more accurate.

The look on his friends face told him she wanted a better explanation and he sighed, moving to step forward when she yelled at him.

"No! There's glass, don't move" she said, hurrying back to the hall closet and fetching a brush to sweep up the shards.

When she was done, Xander was permitted to move and the pair sat down at the kitchen counter, he in considerably more clothing than her as she pulled her robe tighter around her, overly aware of the fact she wore only flimsy nightwear underneath and it was doing little to keep out the chill of the early hours.

"I guess this is the part where I explain why I was creeping around in your kitchen in the middle of the night, huh?" Xander said, staring down at the counter top.

"Might be helpful" Willow pointed out, "I mean, shouldn't you be all snuggled up with Anya doing... whatever you do, right now" she said awkwardly, wishing she'd never begun that sentence as her brain recalled all manner of explicit things Anya had told her against her will about bedroom activities she'd partaken of with Xander.

"See, me and Anya, that's kinda the problem" the brunette sighed, still studying the counter and not looking at his friend at all.

"What did she do?" Willow asked worriedly and Xander was quick to defend his woman.

"She didn't do anything" he said with a shake of his head, "I mean, she loves me, that's what she does, and I love her but..."

"There's a but?" Willow checked, not loving the sound if this.

Though she was far from Anya's biggest fan she knew the ex-demon and her own best friend were so happy together, she worried what would happen if things went wrong between them. Buffy was distracted and upset enough already, Willow didn't think she could deal with Xander retreating into himself too should his relationship with Anya be over.

"Will, I asked her to marry me" he admitted, finally meeting her eyes and the red-head's mouth dropped open of it's own accord. It really was the last thing she'd expected him to say.

"You asked... and she said no?" she guessed, after all why else would her friend be wandering in the night, looking lost and a little upset.

"No, she said yes" Xander corrected her, "It was way back before the fight against Glory, when death seemed kinda definite. I asked her, she said yes, if we won she would marry me"

"But you never told us" Willow frowned, "You always... You used to tell me everything" she reminded him sadly, knowing even as she said it how ridiculous it really was.

When they were kids they shared all their secrets and knew each other inside out, there was a time in their teenage years when they'd even fancied themselves to be in love with each other, but they were grown-ups now, they'd both moved on with their lives, and he didn't have to tell her anything if he didn't want to.

"I still tell you a lot of stuff, Will" Xander assured her, "I wanted to tell you this but... I guess I was kind scared that if I told anybody, it'd be real"

"You don't want it to be real?" Willow realised, "Xander, did you change your mind?" she wondered aloud and he looked away again.

"I don't know" he sighed, "Sometimes I do. Sometimes I look at Ahn and she looks at me and I just know we're forever, it's as perfect as it can get and we're gonna get that happy ever after ending that you hear about in the movies" he smiled, before shaking his head, "But other times, she'll say something, or I will, and it reminds me of my parents and..."

"Sweetie" Willow interrupted, putting her hand over his on the counter top, "You're nothing like your father, and Anya's not like your Mom either" she promised him, "If you two were to get married, if that's what you want to do, you can't worry about turning out like them, because you won't. You're so different" she told him, squeezing his hand and smiling when he turned his over and squeezed back.

"I know" he agreed, "Least I think I do. I guess I worry too much, but, Will, this is the biggest, most grow-up thing I ever did. I never felt like this about anyone before. Anya means so much to me, and... and I'm so scared of hurting her"

"You could never hurt anyone, Xander" Willow assured him, knowing it was true, "You're one of the good guys" she smiled, feeling ridiculously teary as they shared a sweet moment of friendship.

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself" he smiled back, moving to hug her tight, "And hey, just really occurred to me how inappropriate this is" he said, pulling away again when he noticed that Willow's robe had fallen open and her barely half covered chest was pressed against his body.

"Oh Goddess" she gasped, pulling it back around her, blushing slightly.

"Am I supposed to be jealous?" Tara said from the doorway, the smile on her face proving she was only teasing her girlfriend and Xander.

"That's ancient history, Tara, I promise" the brunette grinned, "Will was just helping me out, stopping me from being an idiot"

"It's a full time job" Willow joked, scuttling away when Xander pretended to strike at her playfully.

"I guess since we're all up we may as well eat" Tara suggested as she came further into the room.

She'd got herself dressed in her sweats and tied her hair up in a ponytail before coming downstairs, and now moved towards the sink to wash her hands and get out the breakfast things.

"I should probably head home, make things right with Ahn" Xander sighed, "I can't believe the stuff we fight over sometimes, I mean, how do you get from 'Which movie do you wanna see?' to 'I wish I had my vengeancey powers back so I could liquefy your entrails'?" he asked the Wiccan pair who both made a face and shook their heads, saying they had no idea.

"Relationships are tricky" Willow shrugged before saying she should go get dressed and disappearing from the room.

"Yeah, they're tricky alright" Xander sighed, "And nobody knows that better than me"

"Lots of people have difficulties in their love life, Xander" Tara reminded him, "It hasn't been easy for any of us; me, Will, Buffy..."

"Speaking of, where is the Buffster?" he asked, "Still sleeping off patrol?"

* * *

"Spike, I need you" Buffy gasped, kissing the vampire beside her with a passion, "I want you" she told him, pushing her body up close to his and wishing he would just take her already. He seemed reluctant to respond which both surprised and infuriated her, especially in her drunken, moody-swingy state.

"Slayer, please" Spike said weakly, pushing her away as best he could, "You don't know what you're saying" he said, both loving and hating this situation as she insisted she did know what she was saying, she needed and wanted him so badly and it seemed she was quite determined in her endeavour as she pushed herself up close to him again and tried to kiss him.

"Luv, if I thought it was true..." Spike couldn't even get out the sentence with her writhing next to him like this and fought to get himself up off the bed and away from her.

God, what was she trying to do to him?! Of course he wanted her, he loved her, all he'd wanted for months was to be close to her like this but in her drunken state it was no good. In the morning she'd hate herself for coming on to him, and him even more so for having taken advantage of her. As much as he'd love to make this night perfect, he couldn't bear the aftermath, couldn't stand to think she'd look upon him with the disgust she had a year ago - they'd come too far to throw it all away on one drunken night, however blissful it might be at the time.

"You're supposed to love me" Buffy said tearfully, still lying on the bed unmoving as Spike backed away and out of her sight for fear she'd come at him again. If she'd carried on kissing him like she had been, he was sure his resolve would have crumbled in minutes and all decent rational arguments would have fled his mind as he made love to the women he adored. He couldn't let it happen, not with her in this state. For once in his existence he had to think with the brain north of his belt.

"I do love you, you silly bint" he sighed, "If I didn't I wouldn't be doing this" he told her, though of course it made little or no sense in her alcohol fogged mind.

Though she shed her tears in silence now he could smell the salt from across the room and hated himself terribly for causing her more pain.

"Buffy, pet, please don't cry" he begged of her, daring to approach her once again.

"I'm not" she lied, sounding so much like a child as she turned over on the bed, her back to him as she cried silently into his own pillows, "Leave me alone" she said, face buried in the bedclothes so he barely heard her. Clearly she felt she'd made a fool of herself and was now both embarrassed at her own behaviour and saddened by his rejection of her advances.

With a sigh, Spike reached a hand out to her hair, fingers stopping just short of touching her. It was probably best he didn't initiate further contact and set her off again, there was only so much a man could take before he snapped.

"You get some rest, Slayer, sleep it off" he said softly, backing away towards the ladder that led up to the ground level, "I'll be right up here when you wake up" he promised as he climbed the ladder and emerged in the upper chamber of the crypt.

He closed his eyes and tried to be calm, though after having Buffy be all over him like that it wasn't easy. He could still feel her warm body against his own, feel her lips on his, making him feel so alive, ironic for a man who'd been dead for over a century, but nevertheless true.

Spike rifled through his pockets for the half empty packet of fags he knew he had somewhere, and located his lighter too as he headed for the door. He needed a smoke and a decent spot of violence truth be told, though he knew he wasn't going to go far, just in case some nasty caught the scent of the Slayer and attacked when she was in no fit state to defend herself.

Leaning on the outside wall of his crypt, Spike found himself chain smoking all the cigarettes he'd had left as he thought over the past few hours. Unlife certainly wasn't dull with the Slayer around. He knew he shouldn't he let himself believe that she must feel something for him now. Okay so she had to be drunk to voluntarily kiss him but surely that attraction had to be there in the first place. Alcohol made a person lose their inhibitions, but it couldn't conjure up love and wanting that were not there to begin with in some shape or form.

Finding his packet of fags empty, Spike threw it to the floor and stamped the remainder of the last one into the ground with his boot. Just a couple more hours to sunrise, he realised, sensing the approach of the day as vampires could. He turned to go back inside when something made him stop, a feeling, like a shiver running up his spine, a familiar scent on the breeze.

"Drusilla?" he said too softly for any human ear to have heard. He listened, concentrated hard as he glanced around the darkness of the graveyard, head tilting to one side as he tried to hone his senses. After a moment he shook his head a pained laugh escaping his lips.

"Goin' soddin' mad tonight" he told himself, as he opened the crypt door and went inside, careful not to let it bang too loudly behind him, for fear of waking his Sleeping Beauty in the chamber below.

Outside in the darkness a figure laughed silently, stepping out of the shadows, the moonlight enhancing the paleness of her snow white skin.

"Silly, silly William" Drusilla giggled, "Think it's all a game, with fairies in your head, and a princess in your bed" she sing songed, "You and I are destined, my love" she whispered, a smile on her face as one hand slid down her body, resting gently on her swollen stomach, "And baby makes three"

_To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N : Woah, so much support for this fic - I'ma little overwhelmed! Thanx to you all! Really hope you like this new chapter. Oh, and a side-note; Dawn's sacrifice and the fact that no-one remembers her except Buffy and Spike was just to bring the two of them together, Dru's baby is not Dawn.  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc.- see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 3

Buffy groaned as she was woken by a soft voice calling her name. She turned over, pulling the covers over her head, it was only as she did so she realised something was wrong. Her own bed was softer than this, the linen did not smell of smoke, and there was no man in her house to be waking her up instead of an alarm clock. She sat up too suddenly almost smacking into Spike who had been leant over her trying to wake her up. He hadn't wanted too, she looked so calm, at peace with everything. After so much trauma in her young life it was wonderful to see her that way, a small smile playing at her lips as she dreamt of a more pleasant world, but he couldn't let her sleep the whole day away, the others would be fretting by now.

"Oh God" Buffy moaned, her hand going to her head as her expression grew ever more confused and she looked terribly pale, "I feel like death"

"Talking to the expert, pet" Spike smirked but she didn't reply or smile at his joke even, just put her face in her hands and tried to breathe without throwing up, not an easy task it seemed.

"Bourbon is evil" she said, her voice muffled by her hands but he heard anyway, "More evil than evil" she declared, collapsing back onto the bed and curling up in the foetal position.

Spike smirked, not laughing at her so much as enjoying the innocence of her situation, she was so clearly a virgin drinker. He walked around the bed and knelt down so he could see her face. She looked at him with wide eyes, such a child in that moment.

"I'm sorry, luv" he sighed, reaching out a tentative hand to push loose strands of hair from her face, "Shouldn't've let you get so wasted last night"

"It's not your fault" she said so softly, if it wasn't for his enhanced hearing he might not have heard her at all, "You were trying to help"

"Did a bloody crappy job of it, didn't I?" he said, quirking an eyebrow as he tilted his head and looked at her, "Made you feel worse than ever"

"No" she told him, hand creeping out, fingers moving slowly across the space until they reached his, "Thank you" she said as her warm hand slid over his own cold one, "Last night I... I had a good time" she smiled slightly, finding it was one of the few things she could manage without feeling worse.

"Me too, pet" he admitted with a smile, "At least til we got back here and you bloody threw yourself at me" he rolled his eyes, "That was bleedin' torture"

Buffy's eyes grew wider still at his words and she fought to remember exactly what had happened. All she could recall clearly was a bar, and drinking, and some fighting, then glorious sleep. The parts in the middle were decidedly fuzzy but as she fought the fog that had engulfed her brain she found a few extra memories nestled in the cotton-wool type substance that was her drunkenness.

"Oh God" she winced as she recalled the scene, the way she'd kissed Spike, pressed her body up against his, and pretty much asked him to take her. Her hand slid from Spike's as she covered her face and wished a hole would open up and swallow her. She'd made such a fool of herself! She was never, ever going to drink alcohol again.

"Come on, Slayer, wasn't as bad as all that" Spike assured her as he moved to sit beside her on the bed and attempted to pry her hands from her face. She peeked at him through her fingers, and then frowned as she uncovered her face and stared at him, like she was trying to read his soul, should he have one to read of course.

"What?" he asked, a little worried by her intense gazing at him.

Usually she was telling him how disgusting he was and how she couldn't bear the sight of him so this was quite strange, especially since she was currently sober.

"You didn't..." she began, stopping again seconds later and then staring over, "You said no to me" she realised.

She had little memory of what either of them had done in the crypt last night, but she did know she'd woken up fully clothed and alone. Nothing had happened, nothing but a little kissage that she seemed to recall she had started and he'd barely responded too.

"I did" Spike agreed, unable to look her in the eye for long as he glanced downward, "Hardest bloody thing I ever had to say to anyone I reckon" he told her, "You have no idea how much soddin' willpower it took to walk away when you were... God, Slayer, if you only understood how much I love you" he said, still not really looking at her.

Buffy was stunned. Not just by the fact he seemed so shy about his feelings suddenly but that he really had fought against strong emotions and desires that rushed around inside him, so he didn't take advantage of her.

Pulling herself up to a sitting position, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Spike" she said softly, before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and walking towards the ladder, her stomach lurching and head pounding terribly as she did so.

"You going then?" he called behind her, and she paused and looked back at him.

"The others'll worry if I don't get home" she said, sounding as if she as almost sorry to leave, or so Spike thought, before reminding himself how stupid that was.

"I'd offer to walk you but don't fancy playin' the Human Torch today" he smirked and she managed a smile back.

"I'll be fine" Buffy assured him, "Big tough Slayer girl, remember?" she said as she climbed up the ladder and was gone.

* * *

"Hey" Buffy smiled as she let herself in the back door and found Willow, Tara, and Giles all there, "What's up?"

"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, running over and hugging her friend, "We were so worried about you, are you okay?"

"I'm fine" the Slayer nodded, "Well, pretty much fine" she said, leaving it at that.

She didn't really want to tell her friends she'd gotten drunk and slept at Spike's crypt. They'd think it was strange and ask her why. The only way to explain was to mention Dawn and open a whole can of worms that Buffy couldn't deal with right now, her hangover had not improved sufficiently for such a conversation.

"Did something in particular cause your patrol to take so long?" Giles asked from his position sitting at the counter, as Tara put a cup of tea down in front of him and he smiled a thanks to her.

"No, nothing particular, no Big Bads to worry about" Buffy assured him, "I guess I just... lost track of time" she said as explanation, before faking an over-sized yawn and saying she was going to take a shower and get some sleep if no-one minded. Luckily she had no work to go to on this particular Saturday, and she was eternally grateful for that.

Willow was frowning hard when her friend left the room and Tara knew why.

"You're still worrying, Will" she observed.

"I can't help it" the red-head sighed, sitting down opposite Giles at the counter, "I just know something isn't right"

"I must admit, Buffy has been somewhat different of late" the Watcher agreed, "More distant perhaps and distracted, though she has been doing well enough in her training and keeps appointments quite well. I'm really not sure what to make of it" he admitted, taking off his glasses and polishing them as he was want to do.

"Maybe I should talk to her" Willow considered, "I mean, I know I should, as a friend and all, and then I think if she needed to talk about something she would, without me asking her about it"

"I confess I have wanted to ask her what might be the matter" Giles agreed, "but I admit the thought had occurred it may be, well, a female problem shall we say" he said awkwardly, making Tara and Willow smile at each other. Poor Giles was just so old fashioned and terribly British sometimes.

"I'll try to talk to her later, when she's had some sleep" Willow decided, "Put all our minds at rest"

"Good idea, sweetie" Tara agreed as they all sat around drinking their tea, and the subject soon turned back to the point of them being there.

The two Wiccans had told Giles about Xander and Anya's secret engagement and the three had now got together to organise a small celebration for the pair. Of course they had thought Buffy would join in too, but given the circumstances they decided to just plan the event and fill her in later, they were sure she wouldn't mind.

* * *

Buffy took her shower and felt much better for it. The warm water was soothing and relaxing and the painkillers she found in the bathroom cabinet eased her aching head. She was soon in her own bed, comfortable beneath her own duvet, and waiting for sleep to claim her, but nothing happened. Though her eyes were closed and she looked perfectly peaceful, inside her head Buffy's mind was working over time and in no mood to sleep.

Mostly the thoughts that spun through the Slayer's brain concerned a certain bleached blond vampire named Spike. The guy was turning out to be quite the enigma, or so it would seem. Angel was special because he was the only vampire to be cursed with a soul, but it was almost as if the thing that made Spike special was that he was the only vampire who didn't need a soul to be good.

For months now, years even, Buffy had tried to deny that there was anything good or pure in Spike. He was a vampire, a humanoid creature with the demon lurking inside. He wasn't really a person, he didn't have feelings or emotions, he couldn't love her like he said he did. All this she had believed, until last night.

If what he felt for her was purely lust or simple obsession he would have taken her when she begged him too. He'd have responded to her kiss and her touch, used her body for his own pleasure whilst giving Buffy hers, but he didn't. She was drunk enough, Buffy was ashamed to say, she would have done just about anything he wanted her to last night, and yet he'd said no, walked away so that he didn't take advantage of the woman he loved. Yes, she believed it now, he did love her, he had to.

It should have occurred to her before now, Buffy realised. What other reason could a man possibly have to be so kind, so thoughtful, to take so much abuse and still be there to take some more. He had to love her like he said he did, and last night, the Slayer realised, was the last bit of proof she needed.

The question now became, did it matter? Was it important that Spike's love for her had been proven real? She wanted to tell herself no, that it didn't matter. She could never want him that way, not really. Sure, he was attractive, in that badboy punk rock kind of a way that seemed to appeal to most girls, and he loved her so unconditionally, but that didn't have to mean she felt the same.

Whilst the larger, more sensible part of Buffy's brain was saying all these things there was a smaller voice, quieter but nonetheless able to be heard that said it all mattered, it mattered a lot because she did feel something for Spike, something that grew a little more each day, something that could be described as that crumb he'd been looking for last year, when he'd had her chained up in his crypt, threatening to kill Drusilla to prove his love. That particular thought drove the tiny voice out, reminding Buffy that no matter what else Spike was still a vampire, and his ideas about romance were dubious at best.

'Go to sleep already!' Buffy told herself, shutting her eyes tighter and burying her head in the pillows. Of course that didn't help at all.

As sleep finally overcame her, her mixed up thoughts of the vampire that loved her seeped into her dreams and she was back in his crypt, lying on his bed as she had been just an hour or so before.

This time when she kissed him she wasn't drunk, and he didn't say no to her, just promised that he would love her always as he kissed her back with a passion the like of which she'd never known before, but it wasn't just lust and desire. In his eyes she saw the love he always told her he felt and she never even hesitated as she told him she felt the same, that she loved him too.

When they made love it was incredible, the most passionate and yet tender and gentle experience of Buffy's life and she never wanted it to end. When it was finally over and they lay spent together, bodies still entwined, Buffy tried to relax but found it was impossible.

A shadow moved across the far wall of the crypt and she sat up, holding the bedclothes around her naked body. Spike didn't move at all, and she jostled his shoulder, trying to wake him but he didn't stir. Since he didn't breathe and was cold to the touch, he might have been just another dead body.

Buffy shivered involuntarily at the thought as the shadow from before loomed over her, bigger and darker than before.

"Who's there?" she asked, in true horror movie style, as footsteps could be heard coming closer.

"When the bow breaks the cradle will fall" said a too familiar English voice, the insane cackle that followed confirming the Slayer's suspicions.

"Drusilla?" she said warily as the figure of the vampire woman stepped out of the darkness.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" she sing-songed, over and over as flames licked up from the floor, catching her dress and setting her whole form ablaze.

She screamed, a blood curdling scream, loud enough to wake the dead, and Buffy jolted awake, breathing heavily and breaking out in a cold sweat.

What the hell was that all about?!

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N : So it would seem I freaked you all out a little bit with the pregnant Drusilla thing... Yeah, it's going to get freakier! ;-) Apologies for the lack of updateage, I've had a lot of trouble uploading!  
_(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)_**

Chapter 4

After her strange dream, Buffy found it was impossible for her to go back to sleep, besides it was almost lunch time now and she didn't want to sleep the whole day away. She got up and dressed, all the time thinking about the images that had passed through her mind whilst she slept. The fact she'd dreamt of making love with Spike was scary enough but she had to admit it was the later part with Drusilla that had her the most wigged.

It was several months since Spike's sire had last been in town, or so Buffy thought, now she was wondering if that were true. She hated to think the two vampires may have been seeing each other again and behind her back, but Spike had changed, there was just no way he would do that, surely. It made Buffy's headache come back full force as she considered all the possible things her dream might mean. It could just be nothing, different thoughts and memories and fantasies getting all mixed up in her alcohol fogged brain, but so many of her nightmares had come true before, Buffy was afraid to dismiss this one so easily.

"Buffy, hey" Willow smiled as her friend came down the stairs, "You feelin' better for the sleep?" she asked with a smile and the blonde nodded.

"Yeah, kind of" she admitted, "I... I had a weird dream"

"Was there badness?" Willow checked, "It wasn't a Slayer-type bad dream, like telling us that evil's coming again, was it?"

"I don't know" Buffy frowned as she came into the living room and sat down in the chair, looking over at her friend on the couch, "It was a little intense and weird and... it was probably nothing" she said at last, not really believing it but determined not to worry anyone unduly. She'd just have to talk to Spike, ask him where Dru was these days. He'd probably tell her she was dead or thousands of miles away or something and that there was nothing to worry about. It was strange but when he told her things would turn out okay, she did believe him, it was all weirdly comforting.

"We got some happy news whilst you were out" Willow grinned, "Xander proposed to Anya, they're engaged"

"Oh, that's so great" Buffy smiled, finding she could at least be happy for her friends if not for her own sake right now, "But they announced it without me there?" she frowned slightly, until Willow shook her head.

"Not on purpose" she assured her friend, "They kind of got into a silly fight last night, and Xander came over. We talked and the whole engaged thing slipped out. Tara got to hear and then we told Giles... I'm sorry you were the last to know"

"Hey, it's no big" Buffy promised the red-head, not wanting her to feel bad about something so trivial, "I mean it's not like I'm that late hearing it and I'll see the happy couple soon enough to offer my congratulations and stuff"

"That's kind of the plan we all had, with the congratulations offerage" Willow told her, closing the books on the table she'd been using to study and putting the cap back on her pen with a click, "We're going to have a little party type occasion at the Bronze, some drinks, a little dancing, to help Xander and Anya celebrate"

"Sounds good" Buffy nodded, "When were we planning this for?"

"Tonight" Willow told her, "Which is good for you, right? I mean, you can take a night off patrol or something?"

"Maybe" Buffy said thoughtfully, she had really wanted to visit the cemetery tonight as an excuse to go see Spike and ask about Dru, but this was her friends big night. It wasn't everyday people got engaged, "I guess I could do a quick sweep and then join you at the Bronze"

"Great" Willow grinned as she packed up her study things and stood up, "I'm gonna go meet Tara at the Magic Box. We're going on a little shopping trip, get new outfits for tonight since it's the first time in forever we've had spare cash" she explained, "You wanna come?"

Buffy thought about it for a moment, and realised she deserved a little treat. She had a few dollars to spare, she could at least buy a new top or something for this special occasion, and besides trawling around the mall with two of her best friends on a bright sunny day like today would hopefully take her mind off the dream she'd had, and all associated vampires she'd sooner forget.

* * *

"But it looked so great" Willow whined as she, Tara, and Buffy returned home to 1630 Revello Drive, referring to an item of clothing she'd seen in the store and begged Buffy to buy as she was sure it would suit her to no end. Buffy had made several excuses why she didn't want that particular shirt, despite the fact it was gorgeous. It was so similar to one that Dawn had begged and pleaded to be allowed to have last year, when she had been told in no uncertain terms by both her mother and sister she was far too young for such an item of clothing.

"Really, Will, I just didn't like it that much" the Slayer lied, knowing she'd loved it, but that also everytime she wore it she'd be reminded of Dawn in too painful a way to bear it.

"Sweetie, if she didn't want it..." Tara urged her girlfriend with a smile and the red-head sighed, finally giving in.

They'd been out all afternoon, mostly window shopping, and then grabbing some food on the way home. It was now getting dark and the three young women took turns to shower and wash their hair before getting ready to go to the Bronze for Xander and Anya's celebration of their engagement.

Knowing she wouldn't be patrolling as such but just getting to Spike's crypt and back, Buffy put on her party outfit, figuring that even in her skirt and halter top she could slay any vamps that attacked between here and there. Besides there didn't tend to be too many vamps hanging around Spike's place since they learnt he was a member of the Slayer's team and would likely dust them soon as look at them.

In all honesty, Buffy didn't relish the thought of facing Spike right now, especially in his crypt, him setting of her erotic dream turned nightmare. It would be bad enough with the thoughts of the steamy half of her dream stuck in the forefront of her mind, but knowing something bad might be coming, something in the form of Drusilla, that was way more scary from all kind of angles.

"Well, here we go" the Slayer said to herself as she checked herself over in the mirror one last time, pulling on her jacket and ensuring it had a stake secreted in either inside pocket.

As she stepped out of her bedroom door, she found Willow and Tara on the landing, about to come see if she was ready.

"You really have to be patrol-bound, Buffy?" the red-head checked, "Don't wanna get your new skirt messed up, do ya?"

"I should just make a quick sweep" the blonde said awkwardly, "I won't be long I swear, and I'll be careful, as always" she smiled.

"We'll see you at the Bronze" Tara smiled back as she and Willow took each others hands and hurried down the stairs, leaving Buffy alone, still wondering if she was about to do a very stupid thing.

* * *

Buffy stood outside of Spike's crypt for fully five minutes before she summoned up the courage to go inside. It was ridiculous, she knew that, she kept telling herself just how stupid she was being but the shaky nervous feeling she got when she thought of facing Spike right now just would not go away. She prayed to God he wouldn't notice, or would at least be polite enough not to mention it if he did, but after all this was Spike she was thinking about, and the chances of him having tact and diplomacy on this particular night out of many was approximately nil.

"Hello, luv" the vampire in question smirked as he turned in his armchair to look at her, "Bloody quiet entrance for you, wasn't it?" he teased as he flipped off the TV and stood up.

"Just keeping you on your toes" she told him, a scene flashing through her mind from her dream where he was more on his back than on his feet.

"You alright there, Slayer" Spike asked as he noticed the way she was shifting awkwardly and not really looking at him so much as the floor. She didn't answer as he approached her and he reached a hand out to her arm - she flinched away violently.

"I... I need to talk to you" she said, moving around him and further into the crypt.

"Well, whatever you gotta say, pet, you go right ahead" he told her as he turned and followed her movement with his eyes. She was pacing a little by now, still looking at the floor, and it was driving him nuts not knowing what was up with her.

When the pressure of having lost her sister and not being able to talk to her friends about it got too great she'd come busting in, loud as you please, either to yell and scream like a woman possessed, or to cry in his arms like a child. Those two particular mood swings he could handle, but lately she was developing far too many for his liking. Though this was a little preferable to her throwing herself at him as she had last night in her drunken state, he didn't like seeing her this jittery and uncomfortable it was unsettling.

"Slayer" he called across to her, but she didn't answer.

He strode across the space between them and grabbed her upper arms holding her still. It had been such a surprise and he was right in her face when she glanced up, Buffy could hardly breathe, nevermind co-ordinate herself enough to push him away.

"For God sakes, woman, what the bloody hell is up with you tonight?" he asked her, frowning still. This wasn't like her at all and it bothered him immensely.

"I... I had a dream is all" she said awkwardly, forcing herself to look away from his hypnotic blue eyes and wriggling free of his grasp, though she didn't move from standing in front of him, just turned around putting her back to him as she folded her arms over her chest.

"About the Little Bit?" he checked, since that was what usually upset her, thought not quite like this.

"No" she admitted so quietly that without his enhanced hearing he might not have heard, "About me, and you"

Spike didn't even try to stop the smirk that spread across is face at that little admission, he even let a little chuckle escape when it rose in his throat.

"This isn't funny!" Buffy protested, swinging around to face him.

"Never said it was, luv" he grinned overly much at her, "Just wonderin' how bloody good I was to get you so hot and bothered just standing three feet from me" he smirked wickedly and Buffy hated that she felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

How dare he make fun of her, embarrass her like this?! She hated him for that, and yet at the same time she knew what he was saying was accurate. What had happened in her dream had felt so good, he'd made her feel like the only woman in the world, and the most loved one at that. There was that tiny part of her, the tiny part that was bigger than she'd ever admit, that just kept on wondering if the reality would be as wonderful as what she'd imagined.

"I'd like to wipe that smirk off your face" she said, with an angry edge to her voice that he chose to ignore.

She was just annoyed that he'd infiltrated her subconscious, and Spike was fairly certain it couldn't be long now before he got into her heart too.

"Yeah, well, if your night-time brain flashes are anything to go by, you'd like to do a lot more than that, I reckon" Spike continued to smirk annoyingly as he walked past her towards the sarcophagus where he kept his supplies of blood, alcohol, and so forth.

"How long is it since you last saw Drusilla?" she asked suddenly, knowing this was the more important thing they should talk about and needing to change the subject as quickly as possible before her face heated up so much she got sun-burn from the inside.

Spike stopped moving completely then, like she'd stunned him into the form of a statue. Eventually she heard him take in a pointlessly deep breath before tuning around to face her and give an answer.

"Last time I saw Dru was the last time you did, pet" he said honestly, "Day she walked out of here, pissed at me for having tied her to a post and threatened to stake her"

Buffy nodded that she remembered that day all too clearly, as Spike couldn't quite keep eye contact with her, knowing now what an idiot he must have been to think chaining the Slayer to a wall would ever make her feel like confessing love for him, whether she felt it or not.

Spike took a long drink from the bottle in his hand, ever so glad he had it right now. Buffy was almost wishing she could do some memory blocking in a similar way but alcohol led to badness she remembered from last night, and she would not be touching so much as a drop anytime soon.

"Probably should've done what I said" Spike caught her attention when he suddenly spoke, "Shoulda done her when I had the chance I s'pose but... she was my sire, 's not that simple" he shrugged.

"And you loved her?" Buffy said, making it both a statement and a question at the same time somehow, "I know what that's like" she reminded him, immediately wishing she hadn't.

Angel was a sore point between the two of them, not least because he was the vampire who'd succeeded to get somewhere with the Slayer, that Spike himself had not, and yet wished he could.

"'S not the same, pet" Spike shook his head, pulling himself up to sit on the sarcophagus behind him, "Yeah, I loved Dru. Maybe I still do, somewhere deep down, I mean, she made me what I am and all. Wouldn't be sitting here now, looking at your pretty face if not for her turning me" he smiled and Buffy managed a smile back with a bonus eye roll at how corny he sounded right now. She came over to where he sat and contemplated sitting beside him, before remembering her new skirt and remaining on her feet next to him.

"But y'know what?" he said, strangely softly for a supposed evil vampire as he looked at the woman he loved more than anything else in the world, "Now I could do it" he confessed, "Now, seein' how easy it'd be for me to lose people I love, seein' Dawn take that dive and..." he looked away for a moment, regained his composure, and looked back at Buffy, "Easily could've been you I lost that day, and yeah, I know the drill, you're not mine to lose, right?" he sighed, "but that doesn't mean it would've hurt any the less" he said softly, his hand reaching out to her cheek, stopping just short and dropping away, as reality caught up with him and he realised he'd probably get a smack in the mouth for taking advantage or whatever, "S'pose that just proves how much of a screw up I am when it comes to bein' a vampire" he rolled his eyes, "Rather stake my own sire, than see you hurt, Slayer" he told her so sincerely and with such powerful love in his eyes for her that Buffy could hardly breathe.

"Naughty, naughty, wicked Spike" said a voice in the dark, breaking the mood between Slayer and vampire as they both jumped into battle-ready stance and glanced around in the gloom, "What a nasty, nasty thing to be saying behind our backs"

"Bloody hell" Spike cursed, "Drusilla?" he called into the black and Buffy's heart clenched in her chest as she spotted the face of Spike's sire in the gloom, the one who had infected her dreams and turned them into nightmares just this morning.

"Make a choice and pick the sunshine, you'll only end up burnt, you silly boy" she cackled as she swayed back and forth, "How could you be such a bad, silly, man... Daddy" she said a slow smile creeping across her blood red lips as she finally stepped out of the shadows and revealed her highly pregnant form to the two blondes, shock registering on both their faces, as Drusilla laughed.

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N : Thanx so much for the continued support on this story. A few of your questions should be answered in this chapter!  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 5

"Bloody hell" Spike gasped as he looked his sire over.

She appeared to be pregnant, but she was still a vampire, he could tell by her scent, by the non-descript feeling that tingled down his spine. She was the same Drusilla that'd walked away from him almost nine months ago and... Nine months. The phrase rang in his ears despite the fact nobody had actually said the words aloud.

"How did you...? Is this real?" Buffy asked, eyes wide with shock as she stared at the cackling vampire in the red and black lacy dress, both hands pressed to her rounded belly.

"One was in sorrow, and two found joy" Drusilla sang, "Made a pretty little girl or boy" she giggled, looking down at where her baby resided within her.

"I don't understand this" Buffy said, shaking her head, "Vampires can't... Spike, tell me I'm not wrong about this"

"We're sterile" the bleached blond agreed with her, though his eyes remained on his sire who still stood several feet away, her back to the opposite wall of the crypt, "Body's dead. Can't make new life out of death, you can't just..." he was frowning hard as his brain tried to process the situation that ought to be impossible.

"Life and death are all full of twists and turns, like worms wriggling a path in the dirt" Dru said as she swayed back and forth to the rhythm of some music only she could hear, "Books say it's impossible but books are written by human fools" she told them, "We did something special, my William, made a special little one" she came towards him, one hand still on her stomach, the other held out to him.

Spike couldn't take his eyes off his sire's swollen stomach, as a hundred thoughts and feelings shot through him. This ought to be impossible he knew that, but he and Dru had been together almost nine months ago, it would certainly add up if they were human but they were vampires and this just wasn't an option for them, they couldn't make children, the laws of the universe just didn't allow it.

"Oh my God" Buffy gasped suddenly, alerting Spike's attention to the fact she was still there. He turned to look at her and saw how pale she looked as her hand covered her mouth, "You and Drusilla, you..."

It was obvious what she meant though the words wouldn't come, and tears did instead. Buffy tried to blink them back but found it was harder than she expected. It shouldn't matter that Spike had slept with Drusilla, at any time at all. Though he professed love for her she could never love him, or so she tried to tell herself, now more than ever. Still it hurt to think that just hours before telling her for the first time how much he loved her, he was getting his pleasures in the arms of his sire.

"Buffy, it's not how it sounds" Spike said, looking awkward and pained, "I didn't mean to..."

"I don't wanna know" Buffy shook her head, "It's not important" she lied, as she attempted to regain her composure.

Looking at each other, Spike and Buffy had momentarily taken their eyes off Dru who was now back in the centre of the room, holding her head and swaying more violently than before.

"I see it all" she moaned, "All dark... She doesn't know like I do"

"Are you talking about me?" Buffy frowned, when she received no answer she let her sadness turn into anger, "Hey, I asked you a question"

"Don't, pet" Spike said, getting between Buffy and Dru and reaching out to his sire.

He knew how to deal with her moods and visions better than anyone, with the possible exception of Angelus of course.

"Dru, luv, what do you see?" he asked her gently as he took her hands in his, "Wanna tell me what it's all about?"

"My little Spike" she smiled suddenly, and he saw something different in her eyes, something that had never been there before, not the whole time he'd known her.

"Bloody hell" he cursed, the words barely leaving his lips before Drusilla pitched forward into his arms, out cold.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy wanted to know as Spike hooked his arm under Drusilla's legs and lifted her up into her arms like he had so many times in the past.

He carried her over to the stone sarcophagus he had slept on many times and laid her down.

"She's different, Slayer, she... Buffy, she has a soul" Spike told her looking stunned.

"No" Buffy shook her head, "This is Drusilla, Spike. The only vampire with a soul is Angel"

"Maybe once but I'm tellin' you Slayer I can see it, I can feel it" he explained as he looked back at his sire, "Don't know how or why or anything but I know she's got it, deep in their, glowing away like bleedin' souls do"

"But she's still a vampire?" Buffy checked.

Drusilla possessed two things now that ought to be impossible for such a creature, a soul and a child inside her.

"Yeah, she's still her in every other way" he nodded, "Still my black goddess from way back, no change there, 'cept... well, it'd seem she's got my bun in her oven" he smirked slightly, hand reaching out to hover over Dru's pregnant stomach.

She had a child in there, his child, a being that was half him and half Drusilla, or so it would seem. His fingers barely brushed the fabric of her dress when the dark-haired vampire jerked violently.

Buffy was startled when Dru began moaning and groaning like before, writhing around on the sarcophagus as if she were in agony, though her hands went to head not her stomach, and her eyes were still tight shut. Spike put his hands to her shoulder, tried to hold her still for fear she'd throw herself to the ground and damage the baby that appeared so far at least to be his.

"Bloody hell" he cursed as he realised something.

"What?" Buffy asked as she came a little closer, the look on his face only worried her more.

"There's nothin' of her" Spike said worriedly, running his hands over her as if checking for broken bones or some such, "She's skin and bone, Slayer, I don't think she's been feeding"

Buffy frowned at that. She hadn't considered that vampires got thinner if they didn't eat, the only vamps she knew that had a problem with biting humans were Angel and Spike and they always had a supply of animal blood to keep them well fed. She cast her mind back then to the day Spike had come to Giles' place for sanctuary. He hadn't eaten in days and he looked terrible, so thin and drawn. He'd told them tales of vampires who couldn't feed and eventually wasted away to resemble the starving kids in Africa or similar. She wasn't sure they could actually die of starvation but they could suffer.

Though Buffy didn't care at all about Drusilla and would have scratched her eyes out before staking her had she come back alone, the Slayer knew things were different with her being pregnant. There was no telling what the child inside her was like, though it seemed strange to her if it was human. Still, Spike was sensing a soul on Dru and that counted for something, she knew that.

"Earth to Slayer!" Spike yelled for the fourth time, finally getting her attention, "She's gotta eat. Need you to hold her still whilst I grab some blood from downstairs"

Buffy didn't like the idea but knew she didn't have much choice. She couldn't let Drusilla hurt herself and the baby til she really knew what was going on here, and there was no way to find out with the vampiric mother-to-be in such a state.

She put her hands where Spike's had been on Drusilla' shoulder, albeit awkwardly and Spike hurried to fetch a container of blood to feed his sire. He was at the bottom of the ladder, about to come back up to where the women waited for him when he stopped.

Realisation hit him like a Mack truck and he just couldn't move. He was going to be a father, it would seem. Drusilla was having a baby, God only knew how or why, but it was happening. She had a soul now, whatever that meant, and maybe that meant the baby had one too. He or she could be good, if they were raised right, could grow up to be an ally for the Slayer, and a credit to Spike himself...

"Spike, hurry up!" Buffy called down to him, starting t get worried about Drusilla herself by now as she didn't let up writhing around and wailing like a banshee.

Spike caught himself planning a whole future for a kid that might not even be what he thought and pushed the thoughts from his mind as he climbed up the ladder and back into the main part of the crypt.

Standing close to Buffy he lifted Drusilla's head with one arm and brought that container of blood to her lips. She drank two mouthfuls, before spitting the third back at him, her eyes opening wide and staring at him.

"Not thirsty" she protested, like a small child, and Buffy let go of the vampire as her eyes turned gold and the familiar ridges appeared on her forehead.

"Drusilla, we're tryin' to help you, luv" Spike told her, setting the blood down so he had both hands free should she attack.

He didn't want to hurt her or the baby, but he'd have to defend himself if she came at him. He knew her strength, and that all animals no matter how far from or close to human they were, they were always more ready for a fight when it came to protecting their young.

"Help me, William?" she giggled as she swung her legs over the side of the stone coffin and got to her feet, moving decidedly well for a person who was so pregnant she looked almost fit to burst, "Like I helped you? Helped you get over every girl that shunned you" she reminded him, "And look how you repay me" she said, nastily, the face of the demon making it seem even more cruel as she stared him down.

"Alright, I did a bloody stupid thing" he admitted, hoping it would calm her down, and really not wanting to piss off Buffy anymore than she already was about the whole him and Dru sleeping together thing, "Spike's a bad, nasty man, but we need to help you, luv. Gotta make sure you and baby are okay, right?" he said gently, hoping he was getting through to her.

Her vamp face slipped away and he was convinced he'd got her trust when she smiled.

"So foolish, Sweet Willy" she told him with a sigh, "When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall..." she sing-songed, finding the shocked look on Buffy's face very amusing before she passed out once again, this time onto the cold stone floor.

"Oh for bleedin' hell's sake!" Spike complained as he scooped her up from the ground once again.

He got her back onto the sarcophagus then looked back at Buffy who was stuck to the spot, still looking like a rabbit in the headlights of a large oncoming vehicle.

"Buffy?" he said, as he came towards her, not loving how vacant she looked right now, she'd done this before and it was not fun, "Buffy, pet, what is it?"

"When the bough breaks..." she muttered, eyes suddenly focusing on Spike, "We have to call Giles. We're going to need help with this, books and spells, and all kinds of stuff" she rambled, as she stared past Spike at the other vampire who appeared to sleep soundly, or possibly be dead...

"Slayer, you're not making any sense, luv" Spike told her desperately as she shook her head.

"The dream I had" she explained, "The one I was telling you about, Drusilla was there, she said the exact same thing, that nursery rhyme or whatever, she said it in my dream and now it's real"

"You think that means something?" Spike frowned, glancing between his Slayer and his sire.

"I don't know" Buffy admitted, "But I don't think I wanna wait for whatever she's carrying to come out and..." she stopped when she saw the look on Spike's face.

He wanted to think he was going to be a father to a normal child, however awkward and twisted that situation might prove itself to be. Knowing as she did her tendency to have prophetic dreams, Buffy didn't want to risk some kind of all-powerful demon thing springing forth from the womb of Spike's sire. They needed to research, check out all the possibilities, see if there were any texts about a vampire having a child or something, and it needed to be done now, before it was too late.

_To Be Continued...  
_


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N : Thanx for the latest reviews everybody! I know the alerts aren't really working lately, at least not for me, but hopefully you'll find this new chapter at some point or other!  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 6

"She's still not here, Tara" Willow said worriedly as she looked around the Bronze for Buffy and then glanced down at her watch, "She's never this late for anything, not without calling or something"

"Sweetie, I'm sure she's fine" her girlfriend tried to comfort her, though in all honesty she too was a little concerned.

"It's my fault, if anything's happened, it'll be all my fault" the red-head said, getting upset, "I was supposed to talk to her, find out what was wrong and be all good-friendy but she seemed so okay today, so happy when we were shopping and all, I just thought whatever had been bothering her was maybe all fixed now, so I didn't ask and I should've, I..."

"Hey, Will" Xander interrupted his friends manic rambling, putting a hand over hers on the table, "It's not your fault, it's not anybody's fault. Hey, we don't even know if there's fault to be placed, there might be a totally simple, non-bad explanation for the lateness of the Buffster"

"I think she's just jealous" Anya sighed, causing all eyes to turn to her, "It's obvious to me what her problem is, she doesn't have anybody" she said matter-of-factly, "Xander and I are engaged, you girls are all coupley around her all the time, and okay so Giles is all alone but he's old, and that's to be expected, but Buffy's young and single and I think that's the root of the problem myself"

"Thank you, Anya" the Watcher said sarcastically, "As always your opinion is very much appreciated" he said, rolling his eyes as he polished his glasses on his handkerchief, "Now Willow, if it would put your mind at rest I shall use the pay phone over there and call Buffy's cell-phone to ensure she is alright"

"Thanks, Giles" the red-head managed a half smile as he attempted to squeeze through the crowds of writhing young bodies to go and call his Slayer. He dialled the number, holding the receiver to his ear and listening to the ringing tone for a few moments before it changed to a busy signal.

* * *

Buffy made a little annoyed sound in her throat as she gave up and shut off her phone.

"You just know I can't get through cos some Cordelia-esque Valley girl just decided she needs to call everyone she knows cos of a new pair of shoes or something!" she said angrily to herself since she was currently alone in the Magic Box, Spike was still in the training room with Dru.

They'd come in through the back door, for which Buffy had a key and used the training mats in the back room to make a comfortable area to lay the pregnant vampire down. It was the strangest phrase to Buffy, the words pregnant and vampire just didn't go together, until tonight of course.

"You get hold of your gang then?" Spike asked as he came into the main part of the shop, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Busy line" she said absently, as she turned to look at him, "She okay?" she checked, though in all honesty she wasn't sure if she cared. Still, the baby Drusilla carried could be human, innocent as any other, she couldn't wish death upon it if that were the case, though she was less concerned about it's mother.

"Dru's fine, still... well, dead to the world" Spike smirked slightly at the half-joke he hadn't really meant to make, "Probably her body tellin' her it needs sleep? I don't know to be honest this is beyond insanity, I can't..." Spike sat down on one the chairs by the table, running his hands back through his hair, elbows resting on his knees as he looked over at where Buffy still stood, "I am sorry, luv" he said sincerely, and she found she couldn't look at him right now.

"I don't need your apologies" the Slayer shook her head as she turned towards the bookshelves "I'm not the one you impregnated" she pointed out as she began scanning the shelves.

"I didn't mean that exactly" Spike said as he got up, walking over to join her, "I know what you're thinkin', that I'm some right bastard, shagging Dru and then tellin' you what I feel for you..."

"Spike" Buffy interrupted him with an exasperated sigh, "Now is not the time for tripping down memory lane, especially not that particular lane" she said barely glancing at him before going back to checking titles of books and pulling a couple from the shelves.

"What exactly you looking for?" Spike checked as she pushed two volumes into his hands and crossed over to the ladder leading up to where the more important books were kept.

"Anything that's going to help us figure out what the hell is going on" she called behind her, "Anything about demon births, vampire pregnancies..."

"Oh yeah, that'll be in that book all about stuff that never bloody happens then, will it?" Spike asked sarcastically, "Slayer, you know this isn't possible, or at least it shouldn't be" he reminded her as he stood at the bottom of the ladder calling up to her.

"This stuff never happens?" she echoed as she looked down at him, "Tell that to your knocked up sire" she spat, before going back to her task.

With a sigh, Spike gave up trying to talk to her, going over to the research table and sitting down on one of the chairs with a thump. He opened up one of the books Buffy had handed him and began flipping pages trying to find anything of use, though he doubted he would be successful.

Vampiric pregnancies should be impossible. If Drusilla was having a child, and he was certain there could be no mistake in that, the question became not only how was it possible, but what did it mean. Two demons with the ability to produce children was quite the anti-miracle, and Spike wondered why now was the time it had happened. He and Dru had been shagging for over a century, and suddenly now she was having his kid. It made even less sense when he looked at it that way.

The ringing of Buffy's cell phone caught his attention and he attuned his ears to her conversation as she answered the call.

"Buffy, thank the Lord" Giles sounded relieved to hear her voice, "We've been trying to contact you, are you quite alright?"

"Yes and no" the Slayer admitted, "I'm sorry I didn't make it to the Bronze, I did try to call, things are kinda crazy here"

"Where is here exactly?" her Watcher asked sounding concerned.

"The Magic Box" Buffy told him, "And we could use your help. Can you get everybody here?"

"Well, yes of course, we'll be there as soon as possible" Giles assured her, "but who is we and what exactly do you need our help with?" he asked her.

Buffy sighed pushing her hair off her face as she moved along the shelf of books on her hands and knees, checking all the titles for anything relevant.

"Giles, please, it'll be easier when you guys get here" she told him, and at last he seemed to accept it, promising he'd get the whole gang to the shop as soon as possible before saying goodbye and ending the call.

"They're not going to be any help, y'know, pet" Spike told Buffy as she came back down the ladder a moment later carrying a few volumes that might at least be slightly useful.

"I don't know if anybody can help right now" the Slayer admitted as she dumped the books on the table in front of her and took the seat next to Spike, "but if they can it'll be one of the gang. There's not much Giles doesn't know or can't find in his books, Anya remembers stuff from hundreds of years ago, and Will and Tara have the magicks on their side"

"I don't mean they're not up to the task, luv" Spike shook his head, "Just sayin' they won't be any help, won't want any part in it all when they realise it's me and Dru they're helpin'. They bloody hate me"

"Maybe they do" Buffy admitted with a sigh, "but whatever is happening here, it has to mean something. Maybe something bad is coming, or maybe it's something not so bad, I honestly have no idea" she told him, "but we need to find out what we're dealing with and then figure out where we go from here"

Spike nodded his agreement, pulling the book in front of him closer and scanning the pages. They both sat quietly skimming through the tomes Buffy had found waiting for the Scooby Gang to arrive, Spike always very aware of Drusilla in the back room, and keeping one ear open for when she awoke.

* * *

"Buffy!" Willow called to her as the gang came rushing into the shop, "My God, are you okay?!" she asked, looking the Slayer over for obvious injuries as she got to her feet.

"Will, I'm fine, I swear" Buffy promised her, "Hey, you two. Congratulations" she smiled as she hugged Xander then Anya, as the ex-demon made a big deal of pushing her diamond ring into Buffy's face for her to admire, "I'm sorry I kinda messed up your party" the Slayer apologised but Xander shook his head.

"No big" he assured her, "Plenty of time for more celebrations later"

"Oh yes" Anya agreed with a big grin, "With presents next time" she said enthusiastically, though her comment went mostly ignored as the group focused on Buffy and then Spike.

"Whatever is going on, Buffy?" Giles asked her, as he polished his glasses, "Is there some evil we need to investigate?" he guessed as he replaced his spectacles on his nose and cast an eye over the pile of books laid out on the table, some as yet untouched, others open at particular pages of some relevance.

"Well, it's all a little shocking and weird" Buffy admitted, not really knowing where to begin.

"Weird, huh?" Xander echoed, "Well, that'll explain why the Evil Dead is here. Don't come much weirder" he said, almost nastily.

Spike took little or no notice of the boy, his petty insults were nothing compared to the rest of the nights events so far.

"Whatever's happening, Buffy, it can't be any weirder of more shocking than the other stuff we've faced" Willow pointed out, "I mean when you've seen snake demons and Hell Gods and Master vampires, what icky surprises are left?" she asked rhetorically.

Buffy opened he mouth to answer when a piercing scream came from the back room, loud enough to wake the dead, though ironically it was the dead that had awoken to make the sound.

"Bloody hell" Spike cursed as he scrambled from his seat and crossed the space to the training room door in seconds.

Buffy was right on his heels and the rest of the Scoobies followed behind, wondering what on Earth was happening, and who or what was making such an horrendous noise.

"Bugger" Spike muttered as ran to Drusilla's side.

She was writhing around on the mats where he'd left her, apparently in terrible pain as she screamed and shouted, damning the moon and stars and various other entities that really had no bearing at all on her situation as far as Spike could see.

"Oh my Goddess" Willow gasped, as she took in the scene and Xander was equally stunned, though of course Tara and Anya did not yet fully understand what they were seeing, not knowing that the pregnant woman they were looking at was in fact a vampire.

"Good Lord" Giles said as he stared down at Spike trying to restrain his sire as she kicked and screamed for all she was worth, "Drusilla... She's pregnant?"

Buffy looked at him and shrugged her shoulders hopelessly.

"I tried to tell you it was shocking and weird!"

_To Be Continued..._


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N : Thanx as always to myfab reviewers. A couple of notes - as I said before, the baby won't be Dawn, it seems that impression was given, but she's gone for good, whatever is inside Dru is a seperate entity. Also, I'ma little worried that I apparently write Dru so well. Is it a compliment to be told you write a good crazy person? haha  
****_(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)_**

Chapter 7

"Dru? Drusilla, pet? Can you hear me?" Spike asked her as he knelt beside her.

Though her eyes were closed he was almost certain she was awake, just in terrible pain.

"Who is this screaming woman on the floor?" Anya asked, glancing between a baffled looking Giles and Xander.

"It's Drusilla" her boyfriend explained, still staring at the vampires before him, "But she... Giles how is she pregnant?" he checked with the Watcher who shook his head, "I mean vampires can't... with the babies and all..."

"Sh-she's a vampire?" Tara asked her girlfriend worriedly.

"Well, yeah, she was" Willow agreed, "She's Spike's sire and he loved her but she dumped him a couple of times for other demons... Buffy how did this happen?" she asked the Slayer, and all eyes turned to the blonde who had called them here as Dru kept up her moaning and wailing and Spike attempted to calm her to no avail.

"You guys really need a diagram?" Buffy asked with a look as she went over to crouch down next to Spike, seeing if she could help at all.

"Buffy, I'm sure we're all very aware how children are conceived but it is unusual I'm sure you'll agree for such things to occur between a vampire and, well, whatever Drusilla has made her child with"

"The kid's mine" Spike said suddenly paying attention to the group, "Dru came back last year, flying visit was all it was but, well, we clearly had more fun than I bargained for" he said with a slight frown before turning his attention back to his screaming sire, "'S alright, pet, come on" he said gently, pushing her dark hair off her face, "'S gonna be alright"

"It hurts" Drusilla moaned, "Spike, it hurts and she feels it, she feels the power and there'll be two in the morning, a bright light and... aaaargh!" her mad ramble turned into a scream and Buffy frowned.

"Two? Did she just say two?" the Slayer checked as she scrambled to her feet, "There are two in there?"

"No" Spike shook his head, "No, there can't be, I'm only getting one heart beat. If it were twins I'd pick up on both, even if one were fainter than the other, there'd be something"

"A heartbeat?" Xander echoed, "There's a heartbeat now? In Drusilla?"

"In the baby, you stupid git!" Spike yelled at him, "Dru's a vampire, the baby isn't"

"Good Lord" Giles repeated his earlier sentiments as he tried to take all this in. His glasses were soon off and being polished vigorously as he thought about what all this might mean. It was Willow who voiced one of his own worries though without knowing it of course.

"So, the baby's human?" she checked, "Or...well, something else that's all heartbeaty?" she wondered.

"That's what we were trying to figure out" Buffy told her, "Before the crazy happened"

"Things weren't already crazy?" Anya asked with weird look on her face as she took in the sight of Spike and Dru both on the floor, the former trying to stop the latter from harming herself or her unborn child as she writhed wildly and wailed like a banshee, "I'm sorry but I still don't understand how this woman is both a vampire and pregnant. Isn't that impossible?"

"It ought to be" Giles admitted, "I would say we should research the matter but I fear it's too late for that"

"Too late?" Buffy looked less than impressed, "How can it be too late? Giles, we need to know what's going to come out of her before... some_thing_ comes out of her" she told him, none to calmly.

"I understand your concerns, Buffy" her Watcher assured her, "In fact I share them but to discover the origins of this child or creature, whatever it is, through book reading alone could take days, weeks, even months. We simply don't have time for that"

"I-I think you'll be lucky if we even have hours" Tara chipped in as Drusilla screamed again and the Wiccan checked her watch, "If those screams coincide with contractions, she's almost ready to start pushing"

"Pushing?" Willow's eyes went wide at the thought of it and Tara's words seemed to catch Spike's attention too.

"How do you know so much about it, Glinda?" he wanted to know and thought the girl looked sheepish about explaining herself, she did too, since she seemed to be the only one who knew anything at all about pregnancy.

"M-my neighbour, when I was little, sh-she was a midwife" Tara explained, "After my Mom was gone, I spent a lot of time with her, when Dad and Donny were busy..." she went on, more telling Willow than anyone else, and trailing off when she realised the rest of her trip down memory lane was irrelevant.

"William!" Drusilla wailed, grabbing at his coat and pulling him close to her, "The stars would tear right through, rip my insides all out" she cried.

"'S alright, pet" he tried to comfort her, "It'll be alright" he swore, though in all honesty he was petrified.

He'd never seen Dru look so scared or be in such pain that she didn't want. She'd always been so strong, even during her sickness when her physical strength waned. Her spirit was strong, even stronger than his own, Spike thought, but now it was as if it were breaking into fragments, as if this were too much for her.

"Dr-Drusilla" Tara said nervously as she came forward and knelt beside the vampire woman.

Willow looked panicked and made to step forward, but Buffy's hand on her arm held her back. A look from the Slayer promised her friend nothing would happen to Tara. Spike was right there, and she had some trust in him at least also it was unlikely in her current state that Drusilla would attack any of the Scooby gang.

"It hurts" she moaned, tears streaming down her face, a strange sight to all those that would watch, including Spike, who's hand she had a death grip on.

"I know it does" Tara said, in her usual soft voice that ought to be comforting, "I know it hurts but it'll be better soon, just try to breathe through the pain" she advised.

Dru stared at her, eyes flashing yellow before she laughed long and loud. Her cackling turned into a scream as she kicked out at those who would help her, sending both Tara and Spike sprawling.

"I don't breathe!" she yelled, loud enough to wake the dead, as Willow ran to her girlfriends aid and Spike scrambled to his feet.

"You okay?" Buffy checked with the vampire who nodded before crossing past her and crouching down next to the fallen Tara and Willow who was holding her, checking she was okay.

"You alright there, pet?" he asked with a frown, "I'm sorry"

"I-It's not your fault" Tara told him, wincing a little as she tried to get to her feet and found it hurt in several places where she'd bashed into the wall and floor so hard on her landing, "Sh-she has a point anyway, I for-forgot you don't have to breathe" she admitted, managing half a smile as Willow helped her through to the main part of the shop where she could sit down and where she'd be away from Drusilla.

"We need to do something here" Buffy realised, "Spike, we can't just let her go on screaming"

"What can we do, pet?" the bleached blond shrugged, "I mean, I'm the last person who wants to see her suffer y'know, but women have been giving birth for centuries, right? This is how it's supposed to be, all pain and screaming, and then hey presto, a baby"

"If in fact what she is carrying is a baby" Giles pointed out.

"Yeah" Xander agreed, "I mean, what if it's some green slimy wriggly thing or something" he said, earning himself a glare from Spike, until Anya spoke up and all attention refocused on her latest distasteful and unhelpful comment.

"It's not an alien is it?" she checked, "Because alien births are not pleasant" she told the assembled group, "What with the bursting out of the stomach the way they do, they made a movie about it you know"

"Somebody get her out of here" Spike said, through gritted teeth and as he re-took his position beside his sire and did his best to calm her.

Worried about what might happen next, Xander took the advice and escorted Anya through to the main part of the shop once again, leaving Giles and Buffy by the door, watching the two vampires.

"Giles, we have to find out what she has in there" the Slayer told him, eyes fixed on Spike and Dru, "If it's something bad, I wanna know how to deal"

"A child or creature, born of two soulless vampires" Giles considered, "I can't see any way for it to be something good or pure" he told her, "Although it is such an unprecedented occurrence, I really wouldn't know where to begin on researching" he confessed, "Besides which, I doubt very much we have time for extensive book reading. As Tara quite rightly said, the rate at which Drusilla seems to be experiencing contractions, I fear whatever is inside, will soon be out"

As Buffy and Giles looked on, Spike still attempted to calm is ex-lover down, not an easy task at all.

"Drusilla, luv, can you hear me?" he asked her as she kept her eyes closed and groaned, "Gonna help you through this, pet, I promise you"

"I can feel it, Spike" she told him hoarsely, "Feel the thing we made, part of you, part of me" she told him, eyes finally opening as she took his hand in hers and placed it over her swollen belly, "I can see her" she said with a slight smile and Spike looked at her a moment before he spoke.

"Her?" he echoed, "You know it's a girl?" he checked.

"Pink and white, all peaches and cream" she nodded, "Pretty, pretty little thing she'll be" she said, as a tear crept out of one eye and ran down her cheek.

It was so long since Spike had last seen her cry at all, she was always so strong... Another scream made him literally jolt out of his daze as Drusilla howled like a werewolf might at a full moon.

Back across the room there was a tap on the door and Giles opened it to reveal Willow standing there.

"Giles, we had an idea" she told him, "Tara and me, we think we know how to do a spell so we can find out what Drusilla is carrying"

"That's great, Will" said Buffy as she stepped out of the training room with her Watcher and closed the door behind her, "Is it going to take long to set up?"

"Just a few minutes" she explained as she went back over to the research table.

Xander and Anya had a book each and were researching already whilst Tara brought ingredients over in preparation for the spell. Despite the pregnant vampire attacking her she did not seem at all unwilling to help with the current situation.

"Buffy?" Spike's voice from the door startled the Slayer and she spun round to look at him. In all the the years they'd known each other, from enemies, to allies, to whatever the hell they were now, Buffy had never seen Spike look so worried, almost scared about what was happening.

"We found a spell" she said as she walked over to him, leaving the rest of the gang to their plans, "It should tell us exactly what Drusilla is carrying"

"She thinks she knows" Spike explained, "She told me Buffy... It's a girl" he smiled, finding he liked the idea of playing Daddy to a daughter. Still, his happy expression didn't last long and the frown appeared across his face once again, "She passed out again, I think the pain's too much for her"

"We'll figure this out" the blonde assured him, putting a hand on his arm, almost without realising she'd done it, until Spike's eyes shifted to look at the point of contact. He opened his mouth to say something when Giles walked over and interrupted the semi-moment that was occurring.

"Willow and Tara are ready" he told the pair, "I suggest we get started as quickly as possible, so we know what we're dealing with"

_To Be Continued...  
_


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N : Sorry this update is later than usual. I haven't been around since the weekend, things got a little hectic, you know how it is. Anywho, here's the next chapter, and thanx as always to the wonderful reviewers :-)  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 8

"Okay, we're almost ready" Willow told the assembled Scooby gang as she completed the ring of sand on the floor of the training room, all around Drusilla's unconscious form.

"So, what happens now?" Buffy asked uncertainly. As much as she knew they had to identify exactly what Dru was carrying, she hated to think it was something evil. Though she cared nothing at all for Drusilla, Spike meant something, even if she wasn't sure exactly what yet. Realising his child was in fact something terrible might just kill him, she realised, as she glanced over at him and saw definite fear on his features, something that she had scarce seen before when it came to the bleached blond vampire who had been part of her life in one form or other for years now.

"Okay, Tara and I need to be at Drusilla's head and feet" Willow explained, "Two other people need to be either side of her... bump" she said awkwardly.

Spike automatically stepped up, glancing back at Buffy with an almost begging look when she didn't immediately follow. Taking a breath she stepped forward and knelt down one side of Dru as Spike did the same on the other side.

"Now, Spike, you need to put your hand over... here" the red-head told him, placing his hand on Drusilla's swollen belly, "And Buffy, put your hand on top"

The Slayer was a little surprised to find that both her own hand and Spike's were shaking as they did as instructed, their eyes flitting up a moment later to meet. They shared an uneasy smile as Willow went back to her position and looked across at Tara.

"Okay, here we go" she said as they concentrated and began to speak soft words in a language that the others did not understand.

A moment later, as the quiet chanting continued, Spike felt something happening. The magicks that the witches were envoking was working and he knew Buffy could feel it too as she looked at him, and her breath became slightly irregular as some kind of unfamiliar power pulsed through them both.

"Oh my God" the Slayer gasped as a strange red and pink smokey mist flowed up from their joined hands as if they were on fire, and yet they didn't feel hot at all.

The cloud grew larger and rose just above their eye level, shifting and warping for a while before suddenly exploding with a bright white light, that forced everyone to shield their eyes for a second. A moment later when they looked again they saw what the spell had done. The pinkish red mist had taken on the form of what resided inside Drusilla - a tiny baby, a seemingly human child.

"I feel the spirit" Willow smiled as Tara did the same, nodding her head in agreement.

"It's a girl" she told the others in the room, causing Spike to grin and Buffy to sigh with relief.

"My daughter" Spike said softly as he watched the misty picture of the child shift and waver like candle flame.

A few moments later it started to disappear and was eventually gone. As Willow took a step back she wobbled a little and then righted herself.

"Woah, magicks head-rush" she smiled, her hand going to her head, "Always gets me" she said as Tara came to her side.

"You should sit down, sweetie" the other witch advised, helping her lover through to the main part of the shop and seating her back at the table. Anya and Xander soon followed with Giles, wondering if research was still necessary now, leaving Spike and Buffy alone with the still unconscious Drusilla.

"I'm gonna be a Dad" Spike said suddenly, in awe of the very fact this could be happening.

"Looks like" Buffy agreed, wondering why that bothered her so much, still there was something, inside her heart maybe, something that twisted and tore at her, every time Spike looked at Drusilla just like he was right now.

"Spike?" the female vampire suddenly wailed as her eyes flickered open.

"I'm here, luv" he told her, as he knelt at her side, pushing her hair from her face.

"I don't feel it" she said, her hand going to her swollen stomach, alarm visible in her features, "Spike, the fairies aren't singing anymore, their tune has gone, the stars can't shine without it" she rambled, obviously panicking by now.

"Dru, it's okay, 's gonna be okay, I promise you" Spike told her as he tried to calm her down. Buffy's mind whirred as she considered what Drusilla was saying, trying to make sense of it. Taking just the sensible part of what she said and adding in the panic in her tone, one would suspect she meant the baby wasn't moving anymore, and yet Willow and Tara had confirmed with their spell that the child was very much alive just a moment ago.

"Buffy?" a voice called from the door and the Slayer glanced between her Watcher who was standing there and Spike beside her.

"Try to keep her calm" the Slayer told her vampire companion, "I have to talk to Giles"

Buffy scrambled to her feet and hurried to her Watcher who looked less than happy right now. The door was pulled shut and Giles spoke quietly to his Slayer.

"Buffy, I fear Drusilla's pregnancy is a greater problem than we originally thought"

"Tell me about it" the blonde sighed, "Giles, she said she can't feel it anymore, and it doesn't seem like she's having contractions either"

"She's not" the older man shook his head, "Buffy, Drusilla is a vampire, meaning her body is technically dead. She does not have the necessary bodily functions to give birth as an ordinary woman would"

"Giles, what are you saying?" Buffy frowned hard, "That you wanna take Dru to the hospital and get her a C-section? Cos I'm pretty sure they don't admit the undead to the maternity ward!"

"Buffy, what I'm saying is..." the a Watcher never got to actually finish what she was saying as an almighty crash from the back room interrupted him.

"What now?!" Buffy asked the heavens as she pushed back through the door and found Spike alone in the training room, sprawled against the wall and looking dazed.

"Bloody hell!" he cursed as he scrambled to his feet and Buffy ran further into the room glancing all around. The Scoobies were soon by the door, also wondering what on Earth was going on.

"Dru's gone" Spike told them, "Dunno where her bleedin' powers comin' from" he said, wincing as he held his ribs, "But she was never that strong before" he told Giles who did not look anymore happy to hear it.

"She's gone through the basement, taken the tunnels" Buffy told them as she returned from that direction, "Spike, any idea where she was headed?"

"I dunno" he shook his head as he tried to think, "She was ramblin' about what we'd created, and somethin' about happy homes and burnin' stars" he explained, "You know Dru, never did talk much sense when she got in one of her moods"

"If she mentioned home" Giles considered, "One would think that like most... creatures" he opted for that word, "She would go somewhere she feels safe to deliver her child" he surmised, "Though the problems with her giving birth to the child may be bigger than we thought" he went on to say, "I was about to tell Buffy when this occurred, I don't believe Drusilla has the capacity to bring the child to term"

"What are you sayin', Watcher?" Spike checked, the look on his face far from happy or friendly right now.

"Spike, as you are well aware, a vampire's body is essentially dead" Giles sighed, removing his glasses and waving them about in his hand, "Drusilla simply does not have the means to nourish a baby or give birth to it"

"Giles, before we worry about getting the kid out, let's worry about finding the mother" his Slayer snapped suddenly, not liking the look on Spike's face at all. His mind was whirring at a hundred miles an hour, she could see it all going on behind his eyes. He was realising, same as her, that unless they could find away to deliver Drusilla's baby and soon, the child might not survive.

"Spike!" Buffy yelled at him, "Think! Where would Drusilla go?"

"Er, she was talking about a happy home" he recalled, "Not that I'd call it bloody happy at any time but the old mansion on Crawford Street. Loved that place, she did" he told the Slayer who nodded her head.

"Okay, head down to the sewers, see if you can track her or whatever" Buffy instructed, "You guys stay here, find anything you can that might be useful, and I'll head for the mansion, assuming that's where Drusilla's gone"

"Buffy!" Giles called after her as she went for the door, "Be careful" he said as she glanced back.

"Always" she managed a half smile before bolting out of the door and letting it slam behind her.

* * *

"Run and catch, run and catch, the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch" Dru sang to herself and her unborn child as she wandered through the mansion that had been home to herself, Angelus, and Spike more than three years ago now.

"We were happy" she said mournfully, her hand at her swollen belly, "Happy families, happy home, all ruined by the silly little Slayer girl" she seethed, sadness turning to anger as she picked up a broken wooden chair and threw it at the stone wall where it broke into many shards. Drusilla's expression was suddenly so calm as she stared at the wall and floor, splinters of wood spread all over.

"Oopsy daisy" she said, all innocent as a child, "What a nasty mess we made" she said, looking down at where her child resided, "Such a mess, but such glories shall come" she grinned, "The two, the time, and tea and cakes for all" she giggled madly, stopping suddenly when she felt his presence behind her.

"Daddy didn't ought to sneak up on us" she said, not yet turning around, "We should be very cross with him, we should..." her words left her as a contraction hit, doubling her over with pain. She screamed and Spike was at her side in a second, holding her up so that she didn't fall to the floor and harm herself or the baby.

"Drusilla" he sighed, helping her over to the old couch and sitting her down, "Why'd you run off, luv? We just want to help you"

"Help me" Dru echoed, "Sweet William" she smiled, looking fondly at him as her hand went to his cheek, "No good can come, the devil wants me, I'm no good for anything else" she told him, face crumpling as tears ran down her cheeks, "Look what we did" she said, hand moving to reach for his and place it on her stomach, "A miracle"

"S'pose it is at that" Spike agreed, "Our miracle, yours and mine"

"No" Drusilla cried, shaking her head, wincing as another bout of pain ripped through her, "Not mine to hold. Princess can't be a good girl, can't have a present if she can't play nicely"

"Spike!" Buffy called his name as she appeared in the room, having been stalled on her way to the mansion by a rising fledging who was surprisingly resilient, at least for a while.

"Such a good girl" Dru said as she and Spike both looked to the Slayer, "Does all she's told, a proper princess" she said tearfully, before glancing back at Spike who knelt at her feet.

"You can be a princess too, pet" Spike told her, willing to tell her anything right now. He'd loved her once, a part of him always would, after all she had made it possible for him to live this long, to see the world, and to meet Buffy whom he would love for eternity he was sure.

"Only temporary" she frowned, putting her hands to her head, "Can't see past it, can't get round it, when it's gone, I'm gone too" she told him, eyes staring off over his shoulder.

"No, luv, you don't have to..." Spike began only to be interrupted as Dru put a finger to her lips and shushed him.

"Bad dog!" she scolded him, a harsh yet playful look in her eyes, one he knew so well from days of old, "Did one good thing, William, just one" she said with more clarity than he'd ever known her say anything, "She has to know it" she told him, looking him right in the eye until the last moment when her eyes shifted to her pregnant belly, making it obvious she spoke of their child.

The next few seconds seemed to pass in both slow motion and a super-speed blur all at once. Drusilla screamed as pain ripped though her body once again and in one movement she both kicked Spike away and got up from the couch, a clever manoeuvre for one so emcombered by nine months of pregnancy.

"No!" Buffy yelled as the female vampire ran for the French doors at which thick drapes hung.

It was now clear to the Slayer what Drusilla planned to do and despite the fact she set off at a run she already knew she could never make it in time. Whilst Spike hid in the shadows by the fireplace, Drusilla reached between the curtains and threw open the doors, stepping out into the bright dawn. Her screaming mingled in with Spike's own yelling as Buffy reached the edge of the daylight and gasped at what she found there. Amongst the ash and dust, the remains of Drusilla's undead body, lay a baby.

The tiny girl was perfect, not a burn or scratch on her as she lay on the concrete wriggling and breathing the world's air for the first time, a cry escaping her as she realised things were different and unfamiliar.

"Buffy?!" Spike called frantically as he moved down the side of the room, keeping to the shadows.

Though he heard the cries he had not dare believe it until he saw the Slayer. She returned to his side, half smiling, half crying as she carried his child safely to him.

"Spike" she said, a little emotionally, "Meet your daughter"

_To Be Continued..._


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N : Thanx to you reviewer types for your continued support :-) This story is almost over, but like I said when I started, this whole thing is going to be a Trilogy (hopefully!) so don't worry, the fun and adventures are not over yet!  
_(For disclaimer, etc. -see chapter 1)_**

Chapter 9

"Bloody hell" Spike gasped as he looked down at the tiny person in the Slayer's arms.

A baby, his own flesh and blood, his daughter. Having been dead this past century and more, it had never entered Spike's head that he would ever have a child of his own, and given the fact he had only found out Drusilla was pregnant a few hours ago he'd hardly had enough time to get used to the idea.

"Er, do we have something to wrap her in?" Buffy asked looking around.

Most of the furniture and drapes were covered in a fine layer of dust or worse, hardly suitable for a newborn to be held in.

"Here" Spike said, eyes fixed on the little girl as he removed his long leather coat and reached to take the child from Buffy.

Carefully the Slayer laid the baby into Spike's arms, wrapping her up in the upper part of his coat, the soft lining against her skin.

As she took a step back and looked at the pair, father and daughter, Buffy felt tears roll down her cheeks. This baby, this was what they'd all been afraid of. Nobody could have imagined this beautiful little child could've been born of two vampires who had once been so very evil. Now, Spike looked far from the vicious monster he once was as he cradled his daughter in his arms and looked down on her with wonderment painted on his features and tears in his eyes that he couldn't be bothered to hide.

Stepping back out of the French doors for a moment, Buffy crouched down and observed the thin layer of dust that coated the ground outside.

"She died to save her" she whispered, speaking only to herself really, but Spike heard her.

"She wasn't all bad" he said behind her, ducking behind the curtains, wary of the sun's rays, "She knew what she had to do..." his voice trailed away as his eyes went back to the baby in his arms.

"We should tell the others what happened" Buffy said thoughtfully as she got back to her feet, "And then, I guess, we should head for the hospital, get her checked over" she gestured vaguely to the child Spike held, her thoughts spinning off in a wild direction as she did so.

Suddenly she seemed to remember where this night had started, hours ago when she'd gone to Spike's crypt and told him about her dream, or at least the edited highlights. He'd smirked and laughed at her, and part of her wanted to kill him, whilst another part just wanted to drag him to the nearest bed and have at it. There was no way to know how the evening would've panned out had Drusilla never shown up. Maybe Spike would've kept saying all those beautiful things to her, and this time when he leant in close Buffy would've let him kiss her, touch her, maybe more. On the other hand, they could've ended up fighting like they often did, and she'd have kicked him in the head before running off to the Bronze and partying with her friends to celebrate the engagement of Xander and Anya.

It was all purely academic now, since there was no way to go back and see what might have happened had circumstances been different. Circumstances simply were not different, they were as they were, and so very different to what they had been even a few hours ago. Spike was a father now and, vampire or not, Buffy could already see he loved the baby he cradled in his arms right now, as he sank down onto the battered old couch by the unlit fire, gazing with wide eyes at the little bundle he and Drusilla had miraculously made together nine months ago.

"Spike" Buffy called across the room to him, "I know this is all kind of big with the shock" she said, trying to get her Slayer head back on instead of her over-emotional woman one, "But we can't stay here, it's cold and icky and that can't be good for... her" she said somewhat awkwardly.

"Annaliese" Spike said softly, stroking the baby's head as he glanced up at Buffy, "'S gonna be her name" he explained, "Annaliese"

"It's pretty" Buffy smiled and nodded that she liked it, "You chose it fast"

"Lived as long as I have, luv, you think about things" Spike told her, eyes flitting between her and the child as he went on, "As stupid as it all sounds, I used to wonder what it might've been like, if me and Dru had met and married as real people, if we'd had a little family"

"It's not stupid" Buffy assured him she understood and he knew from the look in her eyes as she came to sit beside him that she really did get it. She'd had the same little daydreams about herself and Angel despite the fact she knew he was a vampire and that marriage and kids and a happy ever after ending couldn't be for them.

"Always thought we could've had a girl, went through dozens of names she might've had" he explained and Buffy listened as he continued, "My Mum's name was Anne, she was always gonna feature and the rest part comes from Elizabeth, for Dru"

"Drusilla wasn't her real name?" Buffy frowned, "I guess I just always assumed..."

"Vamps don't tend to want to be reminded of their human selves, pet" Spike told her, "Besides which, your old fashioned names like Elizabeth and William, don't exactly strike fear into the hearts of the innocents" he smirked as the Slayer rolled her eyes.

"Still, right now, not feeling like striking a whole lot of fear" Spike sighed as he looked down at the recently named Annaliese who squirmed in his embrace and let out a little cry.

"Aaw, it's okay, Annaliese" Buffy told her, "We're going to take care of you" she told the child and Spike looked at the woman beside him strangely. Not that he wasn't thrilled to hear that he was going to have a helping hand in looking after the newborn but he hadn't really expected Buffy to be doing him any favours.

Though they'd got on well enough these past weeks, and she'd run to him with her troubles and tears over Dawn, he figured it was always destined to be a one way deal. He gave her what she needed, taking nothing in return, never asking because he was always fairly certain of the violent reponses he'd get. Despite one rather vivid dream to the contrary, Buffy maintained that she felt nothing for him in a real sense and he was forced to accept that.

"You sure you meant to say 'we', pet?" he asked the Slayer, "Course I'm not complaining, but sort of didn't expect it"

"Spike, I'm not going to leave you, well, holding the baby" she told him, realising just how appropriate her phrasing had been, "You can't have a child living in a crypt, and you can't feed her blood. She's human, she needs warmth and food and... stuff" she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she realised she didn't know all that much about babies really. Of course she had those made-up memories of Dawn being a tiny little girl but her mother dealt with most of the icky jobs. At the age of six when her little sister was born Buffy was just there to play.

"So, you're suggesting, what now?" Spike asked, suddenly realising he really had no idea where they went from here.

"Well, right now I guess we can take her to my house and..." she began, only to have Spike interrupt her.

"Hit a snag already there, luv" he reminded her, "Daylight out there, can't exactly take a stroll through the sewers with the little one, can I?"

"Well, I was thinking, I could take her, and you could meet us there?" she said, uncertainly. It all came down to how much Spike trusted her right now, and given her lack of similar feelings when it came to him, she wouldn't exactly blame him if he refused to hand over the tiny bundle that was already so obviously precious to him.

"Right then" he said, looking at Buffy for a moment and then down at Annaliese once again, "Looks like you're going for a little walk with Aunt Buffy then" he told the child and the Slayer couldn't help but smile a little at his wording.

Aunt Buffy. It sounded weird but she kind of liked it. It was no more strange than Spike and Dru being parents to a human baby, though that was a pretty long way up the weird-o-meter, she had to admit.

"Okay then" she said, holding her arms ready for the baby to be placed into them. Spike of course was incredibly close to her as he passed Annaliese over, and Buffy had to look away from the intensity of his eyes as he glanced at her.

"Er, sewers lead to right outside the back of your house" he said with a shake of his head, to clear the daze he found himself in after all that had happened, "Grab one of these blankets, I can make a dash for the back door"

"I'll leave it unlocked, you can come right in" Buffy told him, "It's not like you need to be invited again" she remarked, though she wasn't sure why. They were both very aware of the circumstances under which Spike had been reinvited into the house. It was the night when they were going to fight Glory, and there was a moment as Buffy stood half way up the stairs looking down at Spike. It was one of those brief times when she felt as if he was a man she could maybe fall for one day.

It was Buffy's turn to shake her head out of the clouds that surrounded it this time. She held the baby close to her body and strode out of the door, offering Spike a half-smile as she passed by him.

Taking in and letting out an unneeded breath, the unlikely father pulled the thick covering from the sofa and bundled it under his arm. It would shield enough of the suns rays to keep him safe as he dashed from the sewer to Buffy's door. He was about to leave when something made him stop and he glanced back towards the glass doors through which Dru had passed, her final steps, her sacrifice to save their baby.

"Rest in peace, luv" he said softly, before he finally walked away.

* * *

"Well, here we go, Annaliese" Buffy said to the child as she brought her through the front door of 1630 Revello Drive, "I guess job one is checking the back door so Spike can get in" she considered, carrying the baby through the house and taking the latch off the back door.

She was a little surprised when she looked down and found the child was asleep. To be perfectly honest she wasn't sure if it was normal or not for babies to sleep so soon after being born. Buffy considered that even if she did know what the normal routine for babies was, it wouldn't necessarily follow that the same rules applied for Annaliese, after all she wasn't exactly ordinary. A child born of two vampires, and yet human and with a soul it seemed. It was some kind of miracle and Buffy wondered why the Powers That Be might've allowed this to happen.

"Maybe the gang will figure it out" Buffy said softly as she laid the baby down in the armchair and quickly fetched the cordless phone. She was sat by the chair, watching the baby as she dialled the number for the Magic Box.

"Buffy?" Giles said, sounding somewhat panicked.

"It's me" the Slayer confirmed, not able to say anymore as her Watcher went into over-drive with questions.

"What's happening? Have you found Drusilla? Was she at the mansion?" he asked all in a rush.

"Giles, breathe" she urged him, "Yes, we found Drusilla at the mansion, and everything is okay" she promised, "She had the baby Giles, she... she walked out into the sun and then, there was a baby"

"Good Lord" her Watcher gasped and she wondered however he would be managing, having to hold the phone in his hand at such a moment when he would no doubt prefer to have both free for cleaning his glasses!

"I think maybe you guys should head over here to the house" Buffy told him, "I'm not exactly sure how to deal"

"Of course, Buffy, we shall all be there as soon as possible" Giles assured her before the pair said goodbye and the call was ended.

"Damn and bugger!" cursing and clattering from the kitchen caught the Slayer's attention and she winced as Annaliese awoke and screamed in alarm.

"Spike!" Buffy complained as she picked up his daughter from the armchair uncertainly and attempted to calm the little girl down somehow. The vampire soon appeared in the doorway, still checking himself over for burn marks after finding that the blanket did not give his body as much protection as he'd hoped from the sun's rays.

"Bugger" he sighed when he found his daughter being comforted by the Slayer, "Did I do that?" he asked, guilty.

"Well, she was sleeping just fine till you came crashing in, so, yeah!" Buffy told him, having to raise her voice a little to be heard over the yelling of the baby.

"I'm sorry, little luv" he said as he came over and knelt on the floor next to Buffy and his baby, "Daddy's a bad man, didn't mean to scare you"

Annaliese was soon calm once again as Buffy rocked her gently in her arms and Spike stroked the baby's head and tried to soothe her.

"Daddy's not such a bad man y'know" the Slayer said quietly, looking down at first and then up to meet Spike's eyes. The look that passed between them meant a hundred different things and yet not a word was said and the moment was broken in seconds as the front door opened and the whole Scooby Gang piled into the house.

"Reckon we've got some explaining to do then" Spike said with a sigh as he got to his feet, reaching down to take his daughter from Buffy who than also rose and stood beside him.

"Hey guys" she greeted her friends who all looked with some shock at Spike holding a baby in his arms, "This is Annaliese"

_To Be Continued..._


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N : So this is the end of this fic, but not the end of the whole story. The second part of the Trilogy will begin soon.  
**_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 10

"C-Congratulations?" Tara said uncertainly as the gang stood in a semi-circle and looked over at the unlikely sight of their best friend, the Slayer, with a vampire who was holding his own baby daughter.

"Thanks, luv" Spike glanced up at the kindly Wiccan and smiled. She was a decent sort and meant well, she'd even tried to help Dru for all the good it had done her, "Appreciated what you tried to do before, y'know. All of you, I s'pose" he said awkwardly, before his focus went back to the child in his arms that already meant the world to him.

"She's beautiful" Willow offered, coming a little closer and looking down at the child, "Gonna be a heart-breaker one day" she smiled, glad when she saw the same expression on Spike's face and Buffy's too.

"I want to see" Anya spoke up suddenly, pushing her way to the front to see the baby. Her expression shifted when she finally looked properly at Annaliese.

"Oh, she's kind of, well, weird looking" she said before glancing around at the less than impressed expressions of her friends, "but in a beautiful way, obviously" she smiled, wishing everybody would just stop looking at her like she was a maniac or something. It really did seem that Xander's friends were never going to learn to appreciate honesty.

As Tara and Willow fussed over the baby, and Spike seemed comfortable with them doing so, Giles signalled he required Buffy's attention and disappeared off into the kitchen with her, whilst Xander listed to Anya all inappropriate words she'd used for other people's new-borns, even if the father happened to be the Evil Dead.

"Kinda crazy, huh?" the Slayer sighed as she and Giles entered the kitchen.

"Indeed" he agreed with her, "It is quite unprecedented, and you said Drusilla is gone?"

"Yeah, she dusted" Buffy nodded sadly, "She knew she had to, to save Annaliese"

"You sound almost sorry" her Watcher observed as he removed his glasses and polished them on his handkerchief, "I feel I must remind you Buffy that Drusilla, and indeed Spike, are both evil demons, and the world would not be lacking in any way should they both cease to exist"

"Giles" Buffy said sharply, a frown on her face, "You can't say that, not after what's happened. A miracle happened here, a baby was born from two vampires, that should be impossible" she reminded him, "The Powers That Be obviously have a plan, that baby is..."

"That baby may not be the miracle that you perceive it to be, Buffy" Giles pointed out to her as he replaced his glasses on his nose, "You seem to believe it is the forces of good that granted Spike and Drusilla the means to make a child. You have not even considered for a moment that it may be borne of evil"

The Slayer shook her head. That made even less sense than her own theory.

"Annaliese is innocent" she said firmly, "She has a soul, and she's human. How could she be made my something bad?"

"And yet she was" Giles reminded her, "As I said, Drusilla and Spike are demons, and therefore evil"

"Maybe, technically" Buffy sighed, "But Spike has been on our side for a couple of years now, and yes, I know some of that is maybe the chip, but he's not evil Giles, not anymore" she tried to explain, "And Drusilla, well, okay, so maybe she was kinda evil but she died to save her child, that has to count for something"

"Buffy" her Watcher shook his head, "I do understand that you want this situation to turn out well, and it is possible the child may be innocent" he agreed, "but we must prepare ourselves for the fact that it could just as easily not be"

"So we research and stuff, I guess" the Slayer shrugged, "but in the meantime, I... I'm going to tell Spike he can stay here" she admitted.

She'd thought about it on her walk back to Revello Drive, amongst a hundred other related thoughts. The point was, a baby needed a proper home, a warm and safe place and people to look after her. Spike couldn't cope alone, and his crypt was no place for a child. For now at least the most sensible option seemed to be if Spike and Annaliese stayed at the house with her, Willow and Tara, they had a spare room after all, since Dawnie...

"...don't you see that?" Giles was saying when she zoned back in to the conversation.

"Huh?" she said absently, turning to face her Watcher, just as Willow appeared in the doorway.

"Hey" she smiled, "Um, me and Tara thought since Annaliese is kinda not your average baby it might be a little awkward to take her to the hospital" she explained, "We know a spell that'll check her health, and Anya offered to go buy a few things Spike might need, after all you know how much she likes to spend money" she smiled.

"That's great, Will" Buffy smiled back, "You and Tara, you'd be okay with Spike and Annaliese being here a while, right?" she asked as she and her witch friend headed back to the living room, leaving a grim-faced Giles behind.

"I don't mind" Willow assured her, "And Tara... well, I think she'll be fine with it" she grinned as they approached the Wiccan woman who now sat beside Spike with his child in her arms.

"She's just so precious" Tara sighed as she held the baby close.

"She is" Buffy agreed, sharing a smile with Spike, wondering why he looked almost grateful to her. She hadn't even offered him the chance to stay yet. That would have to wait in any case, as Willow pulled a spell book from her bag and prepared to mystically check Annaliese for any problems.

Spike held the breath he didn't need til the spell was over and was thrilled to know his baby was healthy as any normal human child could be. Giles joined the group just as the good news was announced and he offered congratulations to the proud father, with a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Buffy suspected she was the only one who really noticed, as everybody else's attention was far too focused on Annaliese right now. The Watcher would not believe that the baby could be anything good because of her birth, a fact that Buffy found very annoying, and yet she couldn't explain why. Even if something evil had brought Annaliese to this world, it did not mean she was any the less innocent. After all, Dawn was a force of great power, used for something evil by hell goddess Glory, but she was as blameless as anyone could be. She had no memories of being the Key, no knowledge of her true purpose until the very end. In many ways, she had a lot in common with Annaliese. Buffy only hoped this child's fate would be less harsh than her own sister's had been.

* * *

It was getting late, and it was all Buffy could do to keep her eyes open as she sat on the couch beside Spike who held little Annaliese still. Willow and Tara shared the armchair nearby, and also looked just about ready to call it a day, and did so just then, holding hands as they disappeared up the stairs to bed.

"Think the little one's had enough for one day too" Spike said in a strangely soft tone that Buffy didn't think she'd ever heard before.

"It's been a long day" she said, her sentence disappearing into a yawn that she tried to conceal, "For all of us"

"You sure about me stayin' here, Slayer?" Spike checked, looking over at her, "I know what you said and all but..."

"No buts, Spike" Buffy shook her head, "Honestly, I don't have the energy for them" she told him, "You're going to need help looking after Annaliese, there's three of us here, all willing to lend a hand"

"Gonna need more than hands, luv" the vampire told her, "Gotta get me some cash from somewhere. I mean, it was decent of your mates to fork out for a couple of outfits and the essentials, but I can't live off them forever"

"I know" she nodded, as she looked down at the tiny child, now dressed in little pink footy pyjamas and partially wrapped in a baby blanket, "but we can cross those bridges when we get to them" she told Spike, as her hand went to Annaliese's head and she smiled as the baby wriggled in her sleep.

"We?" Spike echoed, looking at Buffy til she finally relented and met his eyes, "You reckon on being a part of this, Slayer?"

"Kind of already am" she reminded him, "Spike, I dreamt of Drusilla and then she showed up, there has to be a reason for that"

"Your Watcher thinks it's somethin' evil" he rolled his eyes, "You just know he's checking every book in a five mile radius, hell-bent on discovering that my kid is the key to the latest apocalypse..." he trailed off when Buffy looked away and it occurred to him what he'd said, "I'm sorry, pet"

"It's okay" the Slayer forced a smile, "You really think it hadn't occurred to me that Annaliese has stuff in common with Dawnie anyway?"

"Gotta say, I thought about it myself" he told her, "Just wasn't sure you'd see it the same way. The Bit might've brought on somethin' bad, but she was born out of good. This one..." he said, glancing down at his own baby, "She's innocent enough but not exactly made of sugar and spice, is she?"

"You can't know that" Buffy shook her head, "She's human, she has a soul, there's nothing to say she'll ever be anything other than good and normal"

"A child born of two evil vampires, and Buffy the mighty Vampire Slayer wants to see the good in her?" Spike smirked at how ridiculous that seemed, though he was pleased about it never-the-less.

"It's not just her" she said glancing down at the baby and then back up again, "I see good in you too" she admitted, so quietly he almost didn't hear.

"Is that right?" he checked as they sat very close together, speaking softly over Annaliese's head.

"Spike" Buffy breathed, "You know I don't think of you as just another evil vampire anymore. What you did for me, and for Dawnie... it changed things" she explained, "You're the only one who even remembers I had a sister, and you've been so great these past few weeks. You showed me a side of you I didn't want to see, but Dawn was right, it was always there" she smiled, "You can be a good man, and a great father" she told him, her hand going to his face, "I feel it"

"Wish I had your confidence, pet" Spike replied, eyes closing for a moment at her touch before he looked at her once again, "Still, gonna do all I can to be those things, for her sake" he glanced at his child, "and for you too" he admitted as he brought his eyes back up and their gazes locked, "I still love you Slayer, that won't ever change"

"I know" Buffy nodded, almost hating herself for not being able to say it back, but knowing that lying about it now would only lead to no good. Whilst she was willing to accept Spike's feelings for her, she was terribly uncertain about her own and was determined not to do anything that either of them might regret later, after all there was a baby to consider in all of this now as well as themselves.

Though there were words she couldn't say, there was still one thing Buffy could do, something she'd wanted to do for a while now and she let herself at last as she leaned in closer to Spike and put her lips to his in a sweet kiss. It was a brief moment but it meant the world to him, and Buffy knew it too.

"I'm not saying we have a perfect situation here" she whispered as they parted, "I don't honestly know what I'm feeling or anything, but I think somehow we can make this okay" she said uncertainly, not really knowning how to put it all into words, "Please tell me I'm making some kind of sense here" she begged of him but Spike was at a loss.

"Sorry, luv" he shook his head slightly, "Think my brains still swimmin' from the kiss, 'm not understanding much else"

Buffy laughed slightly at that and Annaliese shifted in her father's arms, making little baby sounds in her sleep. The Slayer sat back a little and looked down on the child, a smile fixed on her face.

"What I'm trying to say is, you and me, we have a chance here" she started again, "Annaliese needs to be looked after, not just in a baby way but maybe in other ways too. We don't exactly know why she's here yet, and I don't wanna freak you out but she might need protecting"

"Thought had crossed my mind, luv" Spike sighed, knowing it was true. There was just no way he'd been given such a precious gift without a price being attached somewhere.

"Spike, you don't have to be alone in this" Buffy said softly, "I don't want you to be alone" she admitted and he smiled slightly, nodding that he now understood what she meant.

Though their little family unit, as it were, might be an odd one, they could be okay, at least Spike hoped so. It wasn't as if Buffy were declaring undying love for him but it seemed as though she was now open to the idea of his loving her at least, and of them bringing up this baby together. It wasn't going to be simple, neither of them were so naive that they thought that, but at least there was some hope. Spike could see a light at the end of the long black tunnel that was his existence. He only hoped the fates were kind, and that this particular light wouldn't burn him to dust when he reached it.

The End


End file.
